The Path We Walk
by Hairann
Summary: Kagome and Shippo, while traveling around helping those in need, find themselves once again with a common enemy with a certain taiyoukai.  SessKag  R
1. Crossing Paths and Reflections

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.

* * *

AN: A lot of SessxKag stories out there are the same thing over and over and it gets rather dull. So I will be keeping this story away from the over done as much as I can. Here are some of the things you will not find in this story... 

1. Inuyasha betrays Kagome with Kikyo. No him telling her he loves her and not Kagome and she runs and ends up with Sess. That happens far, far too often.

2. Sess/Rin is injured or sick and Kagome meets them. It seems it's always Sess being injured and Kagome helps him or he seeks her out when Rin is sick. Why is Kagome never the hurt one?

3. Sess will be IC as much as possible so there will be none of the _'I think I like her, no I can't like her she's human, but then what am I feeling, I must like her'..._etc. Even inside his own mind I can't imagine Sess second guessing himself like that. He would either choose to ignore it or embrace it in a way that may it look like he came up with the idea.

4. When they do get together, which won't be within a few chapters, Sess will remain IC there will be no Sess going mushy...come on guys a mushy Sesshy?? I don't think so.

5. No Kagome becoming his mate and becoming immortal because of it. I plan on giving her immortality just in a different way and hopefully for a reason no one has used yet.

If there are any other over used ideas I forget to mention please let me know so I won't end up using them.

Edited on 8/9/07 Thanks to Karen TPWW's editor

* * *

The Path We Walk

Chapter 1: Crossing Paths and Reflections...

The wind began howling around the clearing as the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the trees leaving the occupants with only the light from their small fire to illuminate their way. _Please be okay momma_. A young kit thought to himself as he peeled back the fabric of a shredded white shirt and began cleaning off the dried on blood that caked a young woman's back.

A soft moan was all that was heard as he wiped the wet cloth across her back gently trying to clean off the wounds. "I'm here momma it's okay." the kit assured her in a whisper as he rinsed out the cloth in a bucket of water near by and began cleaning the wound again. Once it was cleaned to his satisfaction, the young kit climbed into an over-sized yellow backpack grabbing a small white box with a red cross on the front. Raising it up above his head, he pushed it over the rim of the bag, landing on the ground with a soft thud, and he scurried back out of the bag. After dragging it back to the young woman, he opened it revealing various medical supplies from the future as well as herbs and medicines from the present day.

Searching through it he quickly found a small brown bottle with a white lid that he had seen the young woman use on occasion to keep wounds from getting infected. "This is gonna sting momma." the young kit warned her, as he remembered she did when ever she used it on others, never minding the fact that she was unable to hear him in her unconscious state. And sure enough, the moment the fizzing, clear liquid came in contact with the wounds, the young woman hissed in pain.

"It's okay momma, it's okay." the kit whispered softly as he ran his clawed hand through her hair in effort to calm her down. After a few moments she settled back down and whimpered softly, leaning into his hand, but did not wake. Sighing softly, the kit put the bottle away and began blowing on her back to both dry the wounds and help her to relax, as he had seen her do when ever she used the bottle on battle wounds.

Once it was dry, he used his claws to slice through what was left of her shirt, to keep the bloody and filthy shirt from undoing his hard work of keeping her wounds from becoming infected, and began to cover the wounds in white gauze. When he was finished, he covered her with a blanket and moved to tend to the fire near by. As he stirred the unburnt branches to help them catch, he began humming a soft tune, she had hummed when ever he was scared, and the first real smile, in hours, graced his lips when he saw her settle into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

"Master Jaken look what Rin made for you!" a young girl called out cheerfully as she raced toward him with a crowns of wild flowers in her raised hand and a bright smile on her face. 

"Silly human why would I want that?" Jaken asked after turning his attention from the fire he was tending and rolled his eyes when he saw what she was referring to.

"Because it will make Master Jaken pretty." Rin explained with a grin as she tried to place the crown on the top of his head.

"Why would I want to look pretty?! I'm a demon! Silly girl." Jaken mumbled as he ran away from her.

"But Lord Sesshoumaru is pretty and he's a demon." Rin replied a bit confused as she stopped chasing after the small demon. Jaken screeched and turned back to her in disbelief.

"Onna no baka! Lord Sesshoumaru is male, pretty is a word for females!" Jaken yelled shaking his head.

"But Rin thinks Lord Sesshoumaru is pretty." Rin insisted sticking out her tongue at Jaken.

"Rin!" Jaken growled, as well as a toad demon could growl, and charged toward the young girl who squeaked and ran away from him giggling. "Take that back!" Jaken demanded as he chased her as she zigzagged across the clearing.

"No!" Rin yelled back laughing as she looked over her shoulder to stick out her tongue at him again. As she went to turn back around, she bumped into something hard and fell back to the ground. Looking up she saw an endless figure in white until her eyes finally found his golden ones and a smile appeared on her face.

"Lord Sesshoumaru you're back!" Rin cheered as she jumped up and hugged the side of his leg.

"Ng." was his reply as he patted her on the head once before walking away to sit down next to a tree and leaning against it.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked quietly as she walked over to him. He turned to look at her in his way of telling her to continue, which she of course did. "Master Jaken said that Lord Sesshoumaru couldn't be pretty cause it's a word for females but Rin thinks Lord Sesshoumaru is pretty. Can Rin think that?" Rin asked softly as she found her toes to be very interesting as they played in the dirt.

He raised one of his elegant eyebrows at her. _Pretty?_ Sesshoumaru thought with a mental smirk. "If Rin thinks this Sesshoumaru is pretty than this Sesshomaru must be pretty." Sesshoumaru replied giving himself another mental smirk when he saw Jaken's jaw drop to the ground.

Rin looked up at him with her ever present grin and remembered the crown in her hand. "Here Lord Sesshoumaru." Rin said as she reached up and place it atop of his head. A slight nod of his head was his only reply and after flashing him another toothy grin, Rin skipped off to the fire where Jaken was busy fixing their dinner.

* * *

_ Blood. _ Sesshoumaru thought to himself as he stopped walking early the next morning and sniffed the air around him. The scent seemed familiar to him but he couldn't quite place who it belonged to. He couldn't care less if some human was bleeding to death some where, however he wasn't about to have Rin see what ever lay ahead. "Stay." Sesshoumaru called over his shoulder as he headed off in the direction the scent was coming from. 

"Master Jaken where is Lord Sesshoumaru going?" Rin asked curiously as she turned to look at Jaken who let go of Ah-Un's reins and sat down leaning against him.

"Did Lord Sesshoumaru say where he was going?" Jaken asked looking up at her.

"No." Rin replied shaking her head wondering what Jaken was getting at.

"Then how am I supposed to know?" Jaken asked as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"Cause Master Jaken knows everything." Rin replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Jaken opened his eyes to stare at her for a moment before smirking and gesturing for her to join him. With a smile Rin skipped over to him and sat down leaning against Ah-Un as well. "I do not know Rin. But I am sure Lord Sesshoumaru will be back soon." Jaken assured her as he closed his eyes again.

"If not can Rin go pick flowers?" Rin asked after a moment when she noticed they were surrounded by them.

"Yes if Lord Sesshoumaru isn't back soon you may pick the flowers nearby. But for now stop talking." Jaken grumbled shaking his head at the young girl who was now giggling beside him.

* * *

Shippo yawned as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and made his way over to the fire to rebuild it and began making breakfast once he had it going. _I hope momma wakes up soon. It's hard to do all this by myself._ Shippo thought to himself with a sigh walking over to the young woman who was still out cold. "I'll be right back momma, going to get some water." Shippo informed her as he grabbed the bucket and started making his way down to a river near by. 

After filling the bucket, he began dragging it back to camp, once again wishing he was older so a task this simple wouldn't be so hard. When he arrived back at camp, he saw a great demon lord standing far too close to his adoptive mother for his liking, and letting go of the bucket, he rushed back into camp to stand in front of the still unconscious woman. "Get away from my mother!" Shippo yelled with more bravery than he felt as called fox fire to his hand and tried to will his legs to stop shaking.

* * *

After following the scent back to a small clearing, Sesshoumaru spotted the young girl he knew to be his brother's wench covered with a blanket lying near the fire and completely oblivious to his presence. He briefly wondered how stupid she would have to be not to know he was there but the sounds of her even breathing informed him she was asleep. 

The breeze brought to him the scent of the kit she traveled with heading back toward the camp but he ignored it in favor of waking her up and demanding to know why she was on his land. He moved toward her to do just that, when the kit appeared in front of him with a small amount of fox fire in his hand.

"Get away from my mother!" the kit screamed at him putting up a front even though he could very easily smell the scent of fear pouring off of him. Had he been anyone else, Sesshoumaru would have started laughing at the small display of bravery, but seeing as he was Sesshoumaru, he merely raised one of his delicate eye brows at the kit.

"Shippo." came a hoarse whisper from behind the kit and he turned quickly forgetting about the demon lord to rush to the girl's side.

"Momma!" Shippo cried out as he buried his head into her chest and began crying. "I was so scared when you wouldn't wake up!" Shippo informed her in between sobs and she reached her hand up to pat his back.

"I'm sorry little one, I did not mean to scare you. Everything will be okay don't worry." she assured him as she took her gaze off of him to look up at the demon lord. "Forgive me Lord Sesshoumaru, I did not realize we had crossed into your land. We will leave." Kagome informed him before setting Shippo onto the ground and pulling the blanket tight against her body.

"Momma you mustn't move! You'll reopen your wounds!" Shippo insisted as she stood up shakily and reached into her bag for a change of clothes.

"Do not worry little one. I must get dressed. I highly doubt Lord Sesshoumaru wants to see this ningen in nothing but a blanket." Kagome informed him as she turned and began putting on her miko garments while holding the blanket up. It was not easy, but after a few awkward minutes she had managed to get dressed and began rolling up her blanket.

"We will be gone with in the hour. Once again I am sorry Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome said with a slight bow as she turned back to the demon lord and refrained from gasping from the pain in her back, but didn't manage to keep the pain off of her face.

"Why do you use the honorific?" Sesshoumaru asked after finally deciding which one of the many questions he had going through his mind to voice.

"You are a lord are you not?" Kagome asked looking up from the bag she had finished putting the blanket in. His response was a look that clearly said 'as if it mattered in the past' and Kagome sighed shaking her head. "If I had used the honorifics around Inuyasha it would have caused more problems and that was the last thing I needed with him." Kagome explained as she went to collect other things from around the camp but was stopped by Shippo.

"Rest momma I will do it." Shippo insisted as he began packing up the first aid kit and with a smile Kagome sat back down to rest.

"Where is the half breed?" Sesshoumaru asked redirecting her attention back to him.

"He is dead Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome replied sadly as she looked down at the ground and heard a slight sniffle coming from Shippo. Looking back up she noticed Sesshoumaru was giving her a look that said to continue and so she did. "He fulfilled his promise." Kagome explained shaking her head.

"Baka." Sesshoumaru mumbled knowing full well what promise she referred to.

"I would have to agree with you on that one Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome said with a smirk before wincing in pain when she moved her back the wrong way.

"Momma! You shouldn't move." Shippo insisted as he rushed back over to her side to make sure she was alright.

"Stay. Leave tomorrow." Sesshoumaru demanded more than offered giving her no way to say no.

Kagome smiled up at him for a moment before she got an idea. "Lord Sesshoumaru is your ward around?" Kagome asked and a slight nod was his only response. "Well since there is nothing I can offer you to say thanks. How about I make her breakfast to give your retainer, Jaken, a break?" Kagome suggested after noticing the breakfast Shippo had started earlier was far past the point of being burnt.

Sesshoumaru gave a slight nod of his head before turning and heading back the way he came. "Shippo can you catch some small game for us?" Kagome asked turning back to the kit as she began digging around in her bag for her cooking utensils after taking the uneatable food off of the fire.

"Hai Momma." Shippo said with a grin as he ran over to the bucket he had abandoned earlier and brought it back to her before heading out of the clearing in search of breakfast.

* * *

"Kagome!" Rin squealed with delight as she rushed into the clearing and saw her tending to breakfast that was currently cooking over the fire. 

"Hello Rin-chan." Kagome said with a smile as the young girl rushed over and hugged her. She bit back a gasp when she touched the wound on her back and forced her smile to remain on her face. "Are you hungry?" Kagome asked looking up to see the girl nodding enthusiastically. "Good." Kagome said as she turned back to the fire and began dishing out the food.

After setting the two kids down with their plates she handed one to Jaken and as he was about to refuse she glared at him with a look that said 'shut up and eat'. Grumbling about _stupid wenches _he too began eating.

"Guessing you don't want any Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome commented more than asked as she looked over at him. A raised eye brow was the only response she received. "Thought so." Kagome mumbled to herself as she walked back over to the fire and picked up her own plate.

"Where are the others?" Rin asked after a few minutes when she realized they weren't around.

"Sango, Miroku and Kirara are back trying to restore the slayers' village." Kagome replied looking over at the young girl.

"What about Inuyasha?" Rin asked after a moment, oblivious to the cringe his name caused in Kagome and Shippo.

"Eat Rin." Sesshoumaru's words were spoken in his normal cold voice but even those who were not used to being around him could tell it was slightly softer than it would have been had he been talking to anyone else.

Kagome looked over and smiled her thanks to him as Rin went back to eating and dropping the conversation. She really wasn't looking forward to having to explain to the little girl that he had followed the undead miko to hell.

* * *

**Translations**

**Kit-Young Kitsune(sp) or fox demon**

**Onna no baka-Stupid girl  
**

**Miko-priestess**

**Ningen-human**

**Hai-yes**

**-Chan- Honorific added for younger children or girls/woman of equal standing.**

* * *

**  
**

AN: Well there's the first chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly.


	2. Demon attacks and flashbacks

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.

* * *

AN: Here are some more not gonna happens: 1. Kagome becoming all powerful. She will get better as she goes of course but none of that endless training and look she's as good as Sess now crap. 

2. Shippo choosing to stay with Sango rather than Kagome, this happens in a lot of Sess/Kag fics but really I don't see him choosing anyone over Kagome if given the chance.

3. Kagome getting and using a demon powered weapon like Sess's swords...she's human and that wouldn't work. However her getting a weapon made from demon bone, like Sango's boomerang, is possible.

4. Kagome bringing people into her time, without a necklace like Inuyasha it is not possible for her to bring anyone through.

5. Kagome giving Sesshoumaru a necklace...really do you think she would live longer then five seconds if she did that? I don't.

As _EternalLove495_ pointed out yes Inuyasha following Kikyo to hell has been done but no where near as much as him betraying Kagome with her in Sess/Kag fics and I thought about using a random demon to kill him off but really Inuyasha dieing cause of some random demon? Can't see that happening and it would have taken the storyline too far away from what I want it to go into detail about a powerful demon. **However** if others feel this too is way over used let me know and I will edit a bit.

As _Solaira_ pointed out another over used is Kagome really being a demon and long lost heiress to one of the territories. This too will not happen in this fic.

As _Silver Volken Raven_ pointed out Naraku wanting to claim Kagome as a mate...now this one I really don't understand. People think cause his human heart wanted Kikyo that he would want Kagome as well and while I can see that, most seem to forget that Naraku wanted to kill Kikyo so if anything he would want to kill Kagome as well not make her his mate. Really think about it complete evil mating with complete pure??? Just doesn't work.

**_Question to readers:_** I know the whole Sess gets his arm back is way over done, but I do have a way it happens that I haven't seen done yet and was wondering what you reviewers think...go ahead with the new idea or just too over done to be worth it?

Edited on 8/13/07 Thanks to Karen TPWW's editor

* * *

The Path We Walk

Chapter 2: Demon attacks and flashbacks...

"Lord Sesshoumaru can Rin go play with Shippo?" Rin asked with a bright smile moments after the two had finished eating. A slight nod was all the answer she needed, and received, and after flashing him a toothy grin she took off away from the camp with the young kit following close behind after a wave to his mother.

"Jaken." Sesshoumaru spoke merely one word, more of a command than an effort to get his attention, and knowing what it meant after all the time he had taken care of the little girl, Jaken nodded his head and ran off after them calling out, "Hai Lord Sesshoumaru." without bothering to turn to him for fear of the children getting too far away.

"Thank you Lord Sesshoumaru. I realize you did it for Rin alone, but poor Shippo doesn't have the chance to play with kids too often." Kagome said with a slight bow as she stood up and began cleaning up after the kids, trying to best not to cringe in pain in front of the demon lord.

After a moment of silence Kagome figured she wasn't going to get a response from him, not that she was really expecting more than a 'ng' anyway, so when he spoke he surprised her, and annoyed her with his words. "It's good you have finally learned your place miko and submitted to this Sesshoumaru." His voice was held in his normal cold indifferent tone which only furthered to annoy her.

Kagome took a few calming breathes while her mind screams things of _arrogant egotistical males_ and tried to restrain herself from snapping at him as she would have in the past. She didn't fear him, no far from it really, but without anyone else there to help she knew she alone could not defeat the demon lord and would not allow herself to cause her son to become an orphan again when it could be avoided. That however, did not mean she would just take it from said demon lord.

"You misunderstand Lord Sesshoumaru. I have not nor will I ever submit to you, I am merely being polite." Kagome replied in a sweet voice when she looked back up at him. A low warning growl issued from Sesshoumaru informing her this was not the answer he had wanted. _Alright think fast Kagome. How do you stroke an over-sized ego without getting yourself backed into a corner?_ Kagome thought to herself quickly as she watched the smallest amount of red tinge his normally golden eyes.

"However..." Kagome started as the perfect plan started to form in her mind and she flashed him a smirk and a challenge clearly visible in her deep brown eyes. "If and I mean if, I ever call you Milord, you will know that I have submitted Lord Sesshoumaru." It was a challenge plain and simple, she knew it, he knew it. Her challenge...keep from submitting, his? Get her to. She knew it was a risk, she could end up just pissing him off more, but if he was anything like Inuyasha, and she figured he was in this aspect if for nothing else other than he's male, he wouldn't turn down a challenge.

To do so would make him look weak, as if he couldn't force one pathetic ningen to submit to him. One delicate raised eye brow and the faintest of faint whispers of a smirk was his only reply to her challenge. _You will submit miko._ Sesshoumaru thought to himself as he felt his inner demon rattle his cage at the farthest reaches of his mind. It had been far too long since he had a good challenge, he and his inner demon were relishing in the idea of forcing the miko to submit. She promised to be a good challenge for both he and his inner demon. _And if not..._ Sesshoumaru thought dryly as he allowed his normal stoic mask to slip back into place. If not, he could always kill her for wasting his time.

* * *

"Oh wow." Rin breathed as she looked around the clearing of wild flowers the three of them had stumbled on. "So pretty." she commented with a toothy grin as she raced off into the field and began her search of only the perfect flowers to bring back to camp. 

"What are you going to do with all those flowers?" Shippo asked joining her in the field as Jaken sat down at the edge grumbling about 'onnas and flowers'.

"Rin is going to make a crown for Lord Sesshoumaru and Master Jaken so they can look pretty." Rin informed him glancing up before turning her attention back to the flowers at her feet.

"Can you teach me how?" Shippo asked as he began gathering flowers as well, a certain miko mother on his mind.

"Yeah Rin will teach Shippo. Who's it for?" Rin asked as she started walking back toward Jaken to show him her findings.

"My mother." Shippo replied looking up with a grin as he gathered a few more flowers before trailing after her.

"Look Master Jaken aren't Rin's flowers pretty?" Rin asked with a toothy grin as she held the flowers up under his nose.

"Yes yes pretty flowers." Jaken mumbled not bothering to look at them, he didn't need to, the flowers were always pretty. Not that he would admit that to anyone.

"Why do you call her mother? She's human." Rin wondered as they started back toward camp.

"Well after my father died and I was orphaned Kagome took me in and was always motherly to me. She's just always been momma to me for as long as I can remember."(1) Shippo answered with a shrug after thinking for a moment. He himself couldn't remember when he started calling her momma, but it had just seemed so right to him. She may not have given birth to him but she was his mother none the less.

"Rin is an orphan too. Rin's parents were killed by bandits."(2) Rin said sadly as she tried to picture their faces in her mind, but it had been far too long since she had seen them and had problems remembering what they looked like.

"Well at least you have Lord Sesshoumaru now. He's kinda like your dad right?" Shippo asked trying to get the depressed look off of her face. It just didn't seem right to him for her to be sad.

"Silly Shippo. Lord Sesshoumaru is Rin's lord." Rin said with a giggle before looking over her shoulder to see how far back Jaken was. Then leaned in and whispered, "Master Jaken is more like Rin's daddy."

A loud gasp was heard from behind them and as Shippo turned around he found the toad demon looking at Rin with eyes as large as some of the plates his mother carried in her bag. "Rin!" Jaken shouted in mock horror and began chasing after her as she giggled and started running back into camp.

"Save me Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin giggled as she ran over and hid behind him as Jaken came charging into camp. The demon lord merely looked from the young girl to the toad demon who was currently huffing and glaring at said girl.

"She called..she called me..." Jaken started trying to catch his breath and glare at the girl at the same time.

"What did she call you Master Jaken?" Kagome asked getting everyone's attention. Sesshoumaru merely raised an elegant eye brow at her while Jaken did a double take and momentarily wondered why the miko had added the title. Rin continued to giggle as she looked out over Sesshoumaru's shoulder.

"She called me her daddy!" Jaken screeched causing Kagome to hide her own giggles behind her hand as Shippo joined Rin in laughing and was currently rolling around on the ground. For the first time in a long time, Sesshoumaru had to work to keep his mask in place while mentally he was busting at the seams. Jaken huffed again and went to sit off by himself while muttering 'onna no baka'. But if you looked close enough you could find the slightest of red tinges on his cheeks, and it wasn't caused by anger.

* * *

"Time to change your bandages momma." Shippo said after he had finally managed to stop laughing and started toward her. 

"Alright." Kagome replied as she took the first aid kit out of her bag and sat down next to the fire pit. "Rin please turn around." Kagome requested as she turned to look over her shoulder at the girl. Rin looked confused for a moment before shrugging and turning around to face the other way.

Both Jaken and Sesshoumaru briefly wondered why she asked the only other female of the group to turn around and ignored the males but shrugged it off as another thing they would never understand about humans.

With her back to the rest of the group, Kagome slid her shirt down to her waist after opening the front of it. Once it was out of Shippo's way, she raised her arms to cover her chest just in case. "Go ahead son." Kagome said softly without turning back to look at him.

"Okay momma." Shippo replied as he began to pull off the bandages to reveal four long gashes across most of her back. Jaken hissed slightly in sympathy pain before looking away. "It's still bleeding a little momma." Shippo informed her as he laid one of his clawed hands on her shoulder.

"Hand me the herbs." Kagome said with a sigh as she reached into her bag for the mortar and pestle. After he handed them to her she began grinding the herbs into a fine powder. "Add a little water to this and apply it to the wounds. It will help stop the bleeding." Kagome explained as she handed him to mortar and cleaned the herbs off of the pestle.

"Okay momma." Shippo said as he did just that and quickly applied the paste to her back when it was thick enough. "Ready for the gauze?" Shippo inquired after he set the mortar back down.

"Hai Shippo." Kagome said with a smile and he began bandaging her wound back up. Once he was finished she pulled her shirt back up and closed it before turning back around to the others. "You did perfect." Kagome assured Shippo with a bright smile before turning her attention to Rin. "You can turn back around now Rin thank you."

Rin turned back around with a smile as she started gathering her flowers and showed Shippo how to make a crowd after he sat down next to her with his own. "Why did you ask her to turn around?" Jaken asked when his curiosity finally got the better of him.

Kagome smiled at the girl before turning to look at Jaken. "The wound is not something she should see." Kagome explained before turning her gaze to Sesshoumaru and catching the slightest hint of appreciation in his eyes before it disappeared and left her wondering if it was ever really there.

"How did you get it anyways?" Jaken asked after a moment once again breaking the silence that had fallen over the group, other then the soft sounds of giggles coming from the children.

"Saving my son." Kagome explained hoping they would drop it, she didn't really want to have Shippo relive through what had happened the day before. However the curious look on Jaken's face and Sesshoumaru's raised eye brow informed her they weren't going to let it drop. With a sigh she turned her attention back to Shippo for a moment while picking up the water bucket. "Shippo can you go get some more water please?" Kagome asked with a smile.

"Sure momma." Shippo said getting up and taking the offered bucket. He had been waiting for it ever since Jaken asked what had happened. He may have been a child but he understood what was going on around him and knew his mother wouldn't want him around while they talked about the battle that she had gotten wounded in. In truth he didn't want to relive it either, he still felt it was his fault she had gotten hurt.

"Rin go with him." Sesshoumaru commanded deciding that if the miko didn't want the kit to hear than he probably didn't want Rin to either. He briefly wondered if the miko would want her to hear it either since she didn't want the girl to see her wound but quickly let the thought pass since he didn't care what the miko wanted.

Once the kids were out of ear shot, that is unless you were a great dog demon who could hear them perfectly well, as they talked about what the best flowers were to use in crowns, Jaken once again brought up his question and Sesshoumaru found himself just the slightest bit interested as well. He had at first figured the 'baka no miko' had let her guard down until she had said she was saving the kit. Kagome sighed again and dove into her tale about what had happened...

* * *

**_Flashback_**

_It was barely after sunset in the small clearing where a young miko and her adopted kit had made camp earlier and at the moment they would normally be fixing their dinner over the small camp fire. However today instead of dusk being met with light chatter and the sweet aroma of cooking, it was met by a shout coming from said miko as she jumped up grabbing her bow after slinging her quiver onto her back. "Get behind me Shippo!" she called out as she readied an arrow, aiming it straight at the incoming pu-ma oni that was charging toward her._

_The young kit quickly followed Kagome's directions and moved behind her, making sure he was far enough back to be out of her way while he readied a small amount of fox fire in his hand. He knew it wouldn't do much, but even if it helped his mother only a little, it would be worth it to try. So caught up in watching her prepare to shoot the oni and be ready if she needed any help, he failed to notice the pu-ma was not alone and at this very moment another one was currently coming up behind him._

_As soon as the arrow was pulled back as far as she was willing to pull, without the fear of the string snapping, she poured her powers into it and let it fly. The only sound in the small clearing was the '_whoosh_' from the arrow until it pierced the flesh of the oni's chest and its scream echoed around them as it was purified._

_Turning back to the kit, her sigh of relief was short lived when she saw another pu-ma about to attack said kit. She readied another arrow, but to her horror she realized she would not be able to hit the oni without endangering her son. Thinking quickly, she did the only thing she could do and dropped her bow and arrow, rushing over to jump on top of and cover the kit just as the oni's claws came down on her back._

_She screamed out in pain as four long gashes appeared on her back and blood began pouring out of the wounds. As the oni's claws came down for another attack, she grabbed another arrow out of her quiver and, after allowing what little power she could manage in her injured state to seep into it, she reached behind her and thrust the arrowhead into the oni's head, purifying it on contact. Just as its scream die out, her arm dropped back down, having passed out from the pain, she could no longer hold it up._

_The young kit, still trapped below the unconscious miko, did the only thing he could think of and turned himself into a large pink bubble and carried her back to camp. When he was hovering over her blanket, he transformed back into the kit and she landed on the ground with a '_thud_'. His small clawed hands appeared from under her as he dug them into the ground and pulled himself out from under her. _Please be okay momma. _The young kit thought to himself as he peeled back the fabric of a shredded white shirt and began cleaning off the dried on blood that caked a young woman's back._(3)

_**End flashback**_

* * *

They stared at her for a moment once she had finished her story, before turning to see the kids return with the bucket of water and more flowers. After setting the bucket back down next to Kagome, and earning themselves a smile in thanks, the kids walked back over to where they had left their partly done crowns and began working on them again. 

"I don't understand why." Jaken said after a moment bringing Kagome's attention back to him.

"Why what Master Jaken?" Kagome wondered as Sesshoumaru slightly raised an eye brow, his only outward sign that he too wondered what the baka toad couldn't figure out this time.

"Why would you risk your life for a demon kit who is not your own." Jaken said a confused expression on his face.

"I may not have given birth to him but he is my son none the less. Tell me Master Jaken, would you give your life for Rin?" Kagome asked with a smile as she looked over at the children who were currently placing crowns on each other's heads.

"Of course, wench!" Jaken all but shouted quite annoyed she would even ask him that in front of Lord Sesshoumaru no less.

"But she is human and you are demon. It doesn't matter does it?" Kagome asked as she saw Rin perk up to listen to Jaken's answer as well.

"No, not anymore," Jaken all but whispered, annoyed he was having to show any kind of care for the girl with others around since Lord Sesshoumaru was here he couldn't very well lie.

"We differ slightly there, for it never mattered for a second to me that Shippo was a demon. But you and I have, if nothing else, this in common. For I would give my life for Shippo's without a second thought if the need arise." Kagome informed him and smiled at Shippo when she noticed he was smiling at her fondly.

"But you're ningen. Ningens only care for themselves." Jaken insisted even more confused than he was at the beginning.

"That may be true for some, but I myself, in my 19 years have never met a parent who wouldn't die to save their child, mine included." Kagome said with a smile, a hint of sadness in her eyes, as Shippo walked over and placed a crown on flowers on her head. She kissed him gently on the forehead and then shooed him back over to Rin who was currently giving Sesshoumaru his own.

"What do you mean?" Jaken asked after taking his eyes off the kids to look back at Kagome. Sesshoumaru was half tempted to tell the toad to shut up but since his other half wanted the answer as well decided to let him go for now.

"My father died saving my little brother Souta from getting hit by a car...carriage."(4) Kagome quickly recovered, briefly wondering if there were even carriages in this time, but if not it would be easier to explain than cars. Sesshoumaru caught the slight slip up, not really understanding the reason behind it, but decided to let it go since Jaken seemed to be thinking over what had been said and finally stopped with his questions.

* * *

_1. I don't remember if they ever said what happened to Shippo's mother but he joined them after the Thunder Brothers killed his father and they referred to him as an orphan I believe, so it would stand to reason that is mother is dead as well. _

_2. We find out that Rin's parents and I believe older brother were killed when bandits attacked her village. She ends up living on her own, and we later learn the villagers beat her for stealing food, until Kouga and his wolves kill everyone in the village including Rin. This is of course where Lord Sesshoumaru finds her and revives her with his sword. I have seen some mention her family was killed by wolves, but at least in the show (since I am not up to Rin's entrance yet in the manga) this is incorrect. In fact she mentions in the episode where the monk tries to get her to go back with humans, after saving her from the demon who was collecting children, that bandits are worse than demons since they had killed her parents. _

_3. You may notice that this ends right about where the first chapter started. Now I edited a bit but I think I have the time frame correct, let me know if it doesn't seem right. It should show as Shippo working through out the night and into early the next morning on her wounds, remember he has small hands so it would take longer, and finishes right before Sesshoumaru shows up._

_4. I don't remember if it ever says what happened to their father I simply made up that because it went to show that humans do risk their lives for their family to Jaken._

* * *

**Translations**

**Hai-yes**

**Miko-priestess**

**Ningen-human**

**Onna-girl (Onna no baka-stupid girl)  
**

**Baka-idiot/stupid (Miko no baka-stupid priestess)**

**Pu-ma-Puma (Hard to figure out that one huh:P)  
**

**Oni-demon**

* * *

AN: Well there's the next chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly**  
**

**  
**


	3. Promises, Friends and Villages Under Atk

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.

* * *

AN: Okies over used clichés not going to be found in this fanfic Round 3: 

1. Inuyasha getting jealous/possessive when Kagome chooses Sess even though he chose Kikyo, of course this won't be used since both are dead but figured I would mention it anyways.

2. Kagome thinking she's betraying Inuyasha when she starts to fall for Sess. I will show in a flashback later on why she doesn't feel this way.

3. Another Lord trying to steal Kagome away as their mate...don't get me wrong I love the girl but why is it always the top guys that want her and never the little guys? I mean in most stories it's Inuyasha, who unless Sess gets an heir is the heir to the western lands, Sess who's a lord, Kouga who's either a prince or lord not sure which or some random OC lord. Why doesn't some random little guy ever want her?..._Wonders how she can add that into the plot..._

As _Amaya Mishugosha_ pointed out people setting the two up. Almost always it's Rin and Shippo so I will be staying away from that.

**Question to readers:** How am I doing with keeping Sesshoumaru in character? Good, bad...you thought that was Sesshoumaru? o.O

Edited on 8/9/07

* * *

The Path We Walk 

Chapter 3: Promises, Friends and Villages Under Attack...

"Will you be staying for lunch Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked glancing over at him after looking up at the sky and noticing the sun was over head. He looked over at Rin, who was currently too busy playing with Shippo to hear the question, and gave her a slight nod. If he dragged the girl away now he'd never hear the end of it.

"Alright Master Jaken would you mind getting some fish for us?" Kagome asked sweetly as she turn to look at him. He went to protest, but glanced over and noticed the kit was keeping Rin company and if he didn't go she would send the kit meaning he would have to deal with Rin, who seemed rather hyper at the moment, and so instead chose the lesser of the two evils and nodded his head to the miko before heading off to the near by stream.

"Thank you Master Jaken." Kagome called after him and giggled when she heard his grumbled '_wenches'_ as he headed further away from camp. Kagome leaned over to restart the fire and cringed when the pain returned to her back. Shippo who looked over just in time to see his mother's pain filled face, came over helping her to sit down before turning to get the fire going with his fox fire.

"You should be resting momma." Shippo insisted sounding both his age and older in the same sentence.

"Work won't get itself done." Kagome replied with a smile and thanked him for starting the fire.

"Just rest I will make lunch." Shippo offered hoping she wouldn't be able to argue with that, but as it was she had a very good reason for her to do it and it turned out he was the one unable to argue with her reasoning.

"No you should be playing with Rin, it's not often you have a play mate around. Now go play." Kagome insisted shooing him back toward the young girl who was just standing around since she had lost her tag partner.

"Alright momma but be careful." Shippo pleaded as he turned and headed back over to Rin and resumed their game.

"Miko you will watch Rin until this Sesshoumaru returns." Sesshoumaru said, it wasn't even a demand more like he said something and expected everyone to just do what he said. Unfortunately for him he was dealing with a miko who wasn't about to just take an order like that.

"It's Kagome. Ka-go-me. Not miko. And if you want me to watch Rin you should try asking rather than telling Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome insisted as she stood and placed her hand on her hip. Sesshoumaru's response was of course to begin growling at her as the two kids stopped to watch what was going on.

_Two can play that game._ Kagome thought with an inward smirk and she raised one of her eye brows in a very Sesshoumaru way. Sesshoumaru just glared at her wondering briefly what she thought she was doing and continued with his low growl. "Yeah yeah grr to you too Lord Sesshoumaru. Come on can't you do something other than growling?" Kagome asked with the slightest of smirks.

In response Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to flash blood red briefly and raised an elegant eye brow in a 'how's that?' sort of way. "Much better. That is way scarier Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome said with a grin as Jaken walked back into camp with an arm full of fish wondering what he had walked into and if he could get away before they noticed he had returned.

Luck however was not on his side as Rin headed into the camp cheering, "Yea Master Jaken is back with the fish." causing everyone to turn their attention to the little toad demon, who was currently wishing he could disappear as his lord's glare turned on him.

"Stay with the miko." Sesshoumaru commanded as he turned his glare back onto her before turning and heading out of camp to scout around. He wondered if he should just kill the miko and end the problem right there but decided against it since she was injured and she was already to easy as it was. Attacking her now would just be boring.

"You'll catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar Lord Sesshoumaru!" Kagome yelled after him rolling her eyes before helping Jaken prepare the fish to go over the fire.

Sesshoumaru wondered why the miko would think he would want to catch flies in the first place but shrugged it off with a silent '_miko no baka'_ as he disappeared into the trees.

* * *

Lunch had just ended and as Kagome was gathering the plates to be washed, she noticed Shippo standing next to her with a soft smile and 'puppy dog' eyes. "They're in the bag." Kagome answered his unasked question with a laugh and nodded to her large yellow bag. 

With a quick thank you, Shippo dove into the bag head first and began rummaging around the bottom until he found his prize. Grabbing a couple he turned himself right side up just as Kagome reached in and picked him up out of the bag, setting him down on the ground next to it. "Want one?" Shippo asked with a smile as he held out one to Rin.

"What is it?" Rin asked eying the strange objects in his hand.

"Lollipops. They're candy." Shippo explained as he pulled off the wrapper of one and handed it to her before taking off his own wrapper and putting the candy into his mouth.

"Rin likes it." Rin decided with a smile after she mimicked what Shippo had done and sat down near Jaken to enjoy her newly discovered treat.

"Would you like one Master Jaken?" Kagome inquired as she pulled one out of the bag and held it out to him. He looked at it for a moment, then looked at Rin who seemed to enjoy it, and with a shrug nodded and mumbled a thanks as he took it and follow what the other two had done before putting the candy into his mouth.

Kagome just shook her head at his antics and went back to cleaning up the dishes. Deciding to wait until later to do the dishes, she sat down next to the fire just as Sesshoumaru walked back into the camp.

Sesshoumaru briefly wondered why the clearing smelled like cherries but then noticed all but the miko had a strange white stick hanging out of their mouths and decided it was the cause. "Come." Sesshoumaru said looking at his companions before turning around to wait for Rin to say her goodbyes.

"Will Rin see you guys again?" Rin wondered as she hugged Shippo and then Kagome.

"Of course." Kagome assured her with a smile before nodding her head to Jaken as he grabbed the reins of Ah-Un and started toward his lord, giving her the slightest of nods in return.

"Promise?" Rin asked with a toothy grin.

"Promise." Kagome said with a smile before looking up at Sesshoumaru's back. "You're more than welcome to bring her to us if you're going somewhere she can't Lord Sesshoumaru. I'm sure Master Jaken wouldn't mind the help." Kagome said as she sent the toad demon a knowing grin.

"You may travel this Sesshoumaru's lands miko. Stay out of trouble." Sesshoumaru called over his shoulder, not bothering to look back at her.

"It's Ka-go-me!" Kagome insisted as she shouted after him shaking her head.

Sesshoumaru mentally cringed at the volume of her voice before beginning to come up with ways to get the miko to submit that would cause her the most pain.

"Now what momma?" Shippo asked looking up at her once the others were out of sight.

"Now dishes." Kagome said with a smirk as she picked up the dishes and handed them to Shippo so she could grab her bow and arrows just in case and headed toward the stream.

* * *

It had been a week since they crossed paths with the demon lord and his followers, now all that remained of the miko's wounds was the four large scars on her back. Said miko and the young kit had been traveling since not long after dawn and were currently setting up a small camp for lunch. "What do you want to eat Shippo?" Kagome asked looking over at him with a smile as she opened up her large backpack. 

"Ramen?" Shippo asked more then answered wondering if there was even any left.

"You're in luck little one, two packs left." Kagome said with a smile after she searched the bag and found the ramen. "Wish I could go get more." Kagome sighed to herself as she started preparing the food.

"Hey Momma..." Shippo started as he sat down next to her and stared down at his feet finding them very interesting at the moment.

"What is it sweetie?" Kagome asked looking over at him with a smile wondering what could be on the little kit's mind that had him so down.

"I'm sorry you lost your home because of me." Shippo all but whispered and she almost needed to be a dog demon to hear him.

"Little one look at me." Kagome said softly as she stopped what she was doing to turn to him fully. She waited until he did as he was told and laid her hand on his head. "Son it is not your fault that the well is closed and I wouldn't for a second want to leave you. I'm glad I was given the chance to stay here with you and watch you grow up. Truthfully I'm tried of eating so much ramen I just wished we had some cause it makes me feel connected to Inuyasha." Kagome explained as she pulled the young kit into her lap and stirred the noodles over the fire.

"Should we not have opened the last two than?" Shippo wondered after a moment as he looked up at her neck.

"No sweetie we need to be able to move on. If we keep holding onto something that is gone we will never be whole again. And besides, we have something else to remind us of him." Kagome reminded him with a smile as she looked down at him before nodding toward her bag.

"That's true momma." Shippo agreed as he spotted the red cloth just visible over the rim of the bag and thought about what was wrapped up in it.

* * *

"We got an incoming." Kagome warned Shippo as they had been cleaning up their camp to set back out and stopped to pick up her bow and arrows. "Shoulder." Kagome instructed, she wasn't taking the chance of another demon attacking the kit when he was behind her. 

Shippo nodded and jumped up on her shoulder, both tensing as they waited for incoming demon that Kagome had sensed. They needn't have worried and both realized this the moment a cloud of dust was spotted coming toward them.

Kagome sighed as she lowered her bow just as Kouga stopped in front of them with a grin plastered on his face. "Kagome! How's my woman been?" Kouga asked as he grabbed onto her hands ignoring the bow and kit.

"I don't know Kouga how is Ayame?" Kagome asked with a mental smirk as she turned his question back on him and saw him frown in confusion for a moment.

"Kagome you're my woman not Ayame." Kouga reminded her after shaking his head to clear his confusion.

"No Kouga I am not your woman. Nor will I ever be." Kagome insisted getting tired of having to repeat this to the thick headed wolf every time they met.

"You are my woman I claimed you." Kouga informed her wondering why she was trying so hard to get her hands out of his.

"Claim denied. Now listen really carefully Kouga." Kagome said as she pulled her hands back and waited until he was looking back at her to continue. "I will never be your mate. You are promised to Ayame and even if you were you would still just be my friend. Now stop bugging me about this 'my woman' crap or I will purify your butt and it won't be enough to kill you, oh no just enough to really, really hurt." Kagome warned as she placed her bow on her back and folded her arms across her chest.

Kouga seemed to be deep in thought at the moment so the others decided it was time to get back on the road, and after grabbing their stuff they did just that. After five minutes Kouga shook his head to clear it and noticed he was alone. With a shrug he turned and raced in the direction he had left his pack mates.

* * *

"Ahh!" the screamed interrupted their thoughts as the miko and kit were traveling down a long dusty road, one which was like any other they had traveled down over the years. "What is it?" Shippo asked as he looked out from behind Kagome to see what was going on. 

"Demon attack, let's go." Kagome said as she raced down the hill toward the small village not far off that was currently under attack by a Eki demon. Shippo ran trying to keep up with her but soon found himself trailing behind with his short legs and so instead jumped up on her back and crawled up until he was on her shoulder.

"Omaesan minikui!" Kagome called out just as the Eki was about to attack a young woman who was huddled up on the ground. The Eki, now annoyed someone had interrupted him, turned to hiss at the miko as she raised her bow and was handed an arrow by the kit on her shoulder.

"Saikoro!" Kagome cried out as she readied the arrow and let it fly toward the Eki after allowing her powers to seep into it. She watched as the demon moved out of the way and began charging after her just as Shippo handed her another arrow. _Hit the mark!_ Kagome prayed inwardly as she readied the arrow and released it when the demon was too close to get out of the way in time. When the arrow pierced his chest, his scream was cut off as he was purified.

"Alright Shippo time for medical training." Kagome said with a sigh as she wiped off her brow with the back of her hand, placed the bow on her back, and started toward the nearest hurt villager.

* * *

"This wound is too deep he's going to need stitches. Prefect chance for you to learn." Kagome said with a smile after checking on the last injured and finishing a deep gash across his arm. "Hand me the first aid kit." Kagome said as she knelt down to the side of the man who was currently unconscious on the floor of the village's miko's hut. Said miko was currently dealing with a man who had his arm broken in the attack. 

"Hai momma." Shippo said as he pulled the white box over to her and watched as she washed her hands in the basin of water that was next to her.

"Start with cleaning off the wound." Kagome instructed as she pulled her medical thread and needle out of the kit and began guiding the thread through the eye. She watched as the young kit carefully wiped the wet cloth across the wound to clean off the blood. "Okay now you pinch together the skin lightly, and insert the needle at the end of the cut and pull in through the other side of the cut. You have to make sure you get both sides in to pull it back together." Kagome explained as she followed her own instructions until she reached the end of the cut and tied off the thread.

"That doesn't look too hard." Shippo commented as he watched Kagome wash off her hands and needle.

"Nah the hardest part is making sure you have steady hands and that you don't make your stitches too big. How about you mix the herbs while I stretch." Kagome suggested as she rose from her kneeling position and looked down at him with a smile.

"Sure momma I can handle it from here." Shippo assured her with a grin as he began pulling the herbs he needed out of the first aid.

* * *

The village head insisted they stay there the night to repay them for their help, and deciding a night spent on a nice futon sounded better than another night on the hard ground, they accepted and after helping to bury the dead, Kagome headed off to the hot springs for some much needed relaxing while Shippo placed flowers on the graves, since he was too small to help with the digging. 

Just as she was settling down and letting the steam clear her mind, she heard some movement from outside the springs and opening her eyes she spotted the village miko. "You did very well Lady Kagome." the miko said with a slight bow as she joined her in the springs.

"Thank you Lady Junsei." Kagome said with a smile as the miko leaned back in the springs with a content sigh.

"Sorry I was not there to help with the Eki, I was dealing with another on the other side of the village." Junsei explained as she washed out her hair in the hot water.

"No worries Lady Junsei, one Eki is easy enough to handle." Kagome assured her.

"I noticed you were teaching the kitsune the art of medicine." Junsei commented when she was finished with her hair and leaned back to relax.

"Yes Shippo wanted to be able to help in our travels and it is really the only art I could teach him." Kagome said with a smile as she thought to the day he had told her he wanted to pull his own weight.

"It is always good to have as many with medicine knowledge around as you can. Speaking of teaching though, which miko did you learn under?" Junsei asked as she turned fully to Kagome.

"I mostly pick up things here or there on my travels. Though my training started with Lady Kaede in Edo." Kagome replied and decided her and Shippo should go back soon to visit the older miko.

"Ah, well if you wouldn't mind staying another day I can teach you about barriers. It will take a while to learn it, but I can at least give you the basics so you can practice on your travels." Junsei offered after a moment as she got up and stepped out of the springs.

"I would like that, thank you Lady Junsei." Kagome said with a bow as she followed the other miko out.

* * *

"Go and play with the village children Shippo I will call you when it's time for lunch." Kagome said with a smile as the kit followed her outside of the hut they had stayed in the night before. 

"Okay momma." Shippo replied with a wave as he was already heading toward a group of kids who were currently playing with a ball.

"Good morning Lady Kagome. Are you ready?" Junsei asked with a bright smile as she walked over to the other miko after exiting her own hut.

"Yes Lady Junsei. Let's get started." Kagome replied as she followed her toward a clearing to begin learning the basics of barriers.

* * *

"Master Jaken! Look what Rin found!" Rin called out laughing as she rushed over to the toad demon who was currently resting against Ah-Un. 

"What Rin?" Jaken asked opening his eyes partially to see what ever it was that had gotten the little girl's attention this time. Rin held up her hands to show him the grasshopper that was resting in her hands as she gave him a wide toothy grin. "Very nice Rin." Jaken mumbled with a slight nod of his head before closing his eyes again.

Rin, deciding that the toad hadn't given the grasshopper enough attention, placed the insect on said toad demon's head and ran off giggling when he jumped around trying to get it off. Jaken glared at her for a moment before taking off and chasing after her.

* * *

Some where near by at about the same time, their leader was currently awaiting a report from his home on an uproar from down south. "Speak." Sesshoumaru commanded when he sensed more than saw the messenger landing behind him. 

"Both the dens of the Hebi and Karasu demon tribes down south have been attacked. Along with the Mizu, Ki and Sawa demon tribes that were attacked last week." the messenger reported.

"Responsible?" Sesshoumaru asked keeping his normal stoic mask in place, but inside he was seething. The Hebi and Karasu tribes were not far off from his southern border, if this kept up his land would soon be under attack.

"Tadashii." the messenger replied, trying his best not to flee when the taiyoukai began growling deep in his throat.

"Go." Sesshoumaru demanded, wanting nothing more than to have the scared youkai out of his hair. He couldn't stand the scent of fear that was rolling off him at the moment. He would normally enjoy causing others to tremble in front of him but now was not the time.

The messenger bowed quickly and took off away from his master thanking any Kami or Megami who might be listening for getting out of there alive.

"Ningen." Sesshoumaru growled as his eyes bled red for a moment before calming himself and heading back to where he left the others, planning what he was going to do to Tadashii once he got his claws on him.

* * *

**Translations**

**Hai-yes**

**Miko-priestess**

**Ningen-human**

**Kit-young kitsune **

**Baka-idiot/stupid (Miko no baka-stupid priestess)**

**Eki-lizard **

**Omaesan-hey**

**Minikui-ugly **

**Saikoro-die**

**Junsei-perfect**

**Hebi-snake **

**Karasu-crow **

**Mizu-water**

**Ki-tree**

**Sawa-swamp**

**Tadashii-Righteous **

**Taiyoukai-demon lord**

**Youkai-demon (It's really more of ghost or spectre but is often used for demon rather than oni) **

**Kami-a God **

**Megami-a Goddess **

* * *

AN: Well there's the next chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly**  
**

**  
**


	4. A Houshi, a Nomi and a Subeta Part 1

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.

* * *

AN: Over used clichés not in this fanfic take 4: FYI not all of these come from Kag/Sess stories but in case anyone is using this as guide lines to stay away from gonna add some other clichés as well. 

1. AU in high school...about every third or fourth fic I read the summary for is an AU high school story. Heck I've stopped reading when ever I spot high school lol.

2. Others falling in the well and going in the past. Now unless they use some kind of idea like the well being damaged or something this can't work since the only reason Kagome could go through the well was the Shikon and Inuyasha the necklace that links him to her.

3. Shippo learning sword fighting and becoming a warrior. Really don't see this one happening since kitsunes are more into tricks and illusions rather than weapons. But almost ever fic I have read that had an older Shippo he was either fighting or learning how to.

4. Kagome's scent being either Jasmine or Sakura blossoms. She almost always smells like one of these two.

5. Sess and Inuyasha having a sister or brother no one knew about. I think if there was someone that closely related they would have been mentioned.

6. Oddly enough Inuyasha really being Sess's son. I've seen quite a few of these.

7. Game of truth or dare. Done way too often.

Edited on 8/9/07

* * *

The Path We Walk

Chapter 4: A Houshi, a Nomi and a Subeta Part 1

(A Buddhist priest, a flea and a sword)

Two more weeks had passed and they finally arrived back at Edo, they would have been there much sooner had ever village they passed not been under attack by demons or sickness. But either way it gave them both more chances to practice. Now, a few minutes before sunset, they were entering Kaede's hut to find her cooking dinner over the small fire pit in the middle of the room.

"Child ye have returned." Kaede said with a smile when she noticed her enter and walked over to give the younger miko a hug. "How have ye been child?" Kaede asked as she gestured for her to sit down across from where Kaede had been seated moments ago.

"Huh?" wondered a mostly asleep Shippo as he stuck his head outside of the large backpack he had been resting it and spotted Kaede as she sat back down to tend to dinner. "Oh hello Lady Kaede." Shippo greeted with a smile as Kagome placed the bag on the ground and he jumped out of it and into her lap as she took her seat.

"Hello Shippo." Kaede said with a smile as she began pouring the stew she had made into three bowls before passing them out. "How are things going in ye travels?" Kaede wondered as she looked up from her meal.

"Rather interesting so far. Since the last time I visited I've managed to get wounded -although healed now so don't worry-roped a taiyoukai into a challenge, met a priestess named Junsei who helped me with the basics of barriers, and have gotten pretty far in teaching Shippo about herbs." Kagome told her as she ticked off each point by raising a finger.

Kaede stared at her for a moment trying to decide which event she was most interested in to question the girl further on and finally decided on the one that made the least sense. "Roped a taiyoukai into a challenge?" Kaede wondered as she raised her eye brows at the young miko.

"Yes kinda a funny story too." Kagome answered with a laugh before taking another bit of her meal. "Sesshoumaru showed up the day after I had gotten injured and ended up spending part of the day with us so Rin could play with Shippo. Well anyways the children and Jaken took off to go find flowers and he made a comment about me finally submitting to him since I kept calling him Lord Sesshoumaru. Well me being me, I corrected him and told him I was just being polite and that I would never submit.

"Well as you can imagine that didn't go over real well and I had to come up with a way to get him to not kill me without him thinking he won. So I did the only thing I could think of and challenged his ego by saying that if I was to submit to him I would call him milord. Well it seems to have worked." Kagome explained as she finished off the stew and handed her bowl to Kaede as she reached for it to refill it.

"I find it rather interesting that ye were able to challenge him so easily." Kaede decided after thinking about what Kagome had said for a few moments as she refilled Shippo's bowl as well.

"I think he was just bored." Kagome informed her with a laugh as she looked over and saw Shippo trying to stifle a yawn while eating.

"Odd I would think he would be rather busy at the moment." Kaede commented after a minute more to herself than to Kagome who was currently setting up her sleeping bag on the other side of the room.

"Why do you say that?" Kagome wondered as she lifted Shippo, who was currently more busy falling asleep rather than eating, into her arms and brought him over to the sleeping bag and laid him down inside before covering him up.

"I have heard news of attacks near the border of the western lands. One would think he would be dealing with the threat." Kaede explained with a shrug.

"Hmm." Kagome said more to herself than Kaede as she thought that over in her mind while the older miko gathered the dishes to wash them.

* * *

Deep within the forests, just on the south's side of the border with the west, a man could be seen staring off into the trees. What he was looking at his followers couldn't be sure, but at that moment there were most pressing matters to worry about. Such as what was on the mind of the men, something they had been worried about for days, and currently on the mind of a young man that was heading toward their leader. 

"Tadashii-sama do you really think it wise to cross over into the west? The taiyoukai of the west is supposed to be very powerful and it is rumored that he is already angry that we have attacked so close to his borders. Wouldn't it only further aggravate him to do so on his own land?" the young man wondered out loud as he caught the attention of his leader, though he did not turn to face him.

"Worry not over that aka. We will continue on as planned hitting the west next and then north. We are on a mission and would not do well to veer off course because of a simple oni." Tadashii replied with a wave of his hand as though the mention of the taiyoukai did not required his attention or worry.

"What if he attacks Tadashii-sama?" the young man wondered after a moment of silence as he looked up at the back of his leader's head.

"Simple, we kill him. In fact even if he doesn't attack, we shall kill him none the less." Tadashii replied turning to look at the young man before walking back toward camp using his staff as a walking stick. "Keep camp until I return. I have heard rumors of someone we would do well to have in our fold and I will go and search them out." Tadashii told his men before gathering three of them to make the journey with him and heading out of camp.

* * *

AN: o.O so anyone else feel like killing Tadashii for talking like that about Sexy-sama...err...I mean Sesshy-sama?

* * *

This might be easier than he originally thought. It was almost too good to be true but if it indeed turn out to be false, well he could always kill the messenger. Either way it seemed win/win to him and he liked when outcomes were in his favor. He had been itching for some blood ever since he heard that Tadashii had been attacking villages not far from his border and now with this bit of news, his claws would be dripping in blood soon, one way or the other. If it turned out to be false then they would be covered in the messenger's blood but if it was true, which he truly hoped it was, then it would be Tadashii's blood. Oh yes he was hoping that the news of Tadashii being seen heading east with only a few men was correct. 

He had returned to his home not long after he had first received word of the attacks and it had begun to seem like time had slowed down while was waiting on news. But now he had it and he was really looking forward to spilling Tadashii's blood. He was still a bit sore he wasn't able to do it last time they had crossed paths. How long ago now was it? He couldn't really remember, he was never one for keeping track of the years since he'd seen so many already. But about 20 years seemed about right. Like now, there had been attacks of youkai villages -it had been in the north last time- but until they entered his land or the northern taiyoukai asked for aid he decided not to worry about it, it wasn't his problem.

He had put the whole thing at the back of his mind and pretty much forgotten about it until one day he had been scouting around toward the northern border and had been wounded in a battle with some buta youkai. He had won of course, he _was_ Sesshoumaru after all, but he was injured none the less. He had been just leaning against a tree waiting for himself to heal when he felt him approaching. He was expecting, hoping really, for him to run away scared when he stumbled upon the great taiyoukai but instead he had decided to be even more cowardly and tried to attack him. Shouting some pathetic nonsense about how he, Tadashii, was going to rid the world of another kitanai akuma, as if he, Sesshoumaru, were the unclean one. A quick whip to the face got rid of that notion and he finally decided to turn tail and run, the smell of burnt flesh left in his wake. He had thought about going after him and finishing him off but decided at that moment it wasn't worth it. He figured he had at least gotten a nice scar from it and that was good enough for now, he could always kill him later when he was feeling more up to it anyways.

Sesshoumaru was pulled out of his memories when he realized he had reached his destination, the gardens, and those who he sought were currently coming toward him. "This Sesshoumaru is going to the east." Sesshoumaru informed them choosing to ignore Jaken and instead look at Rin.

"The east?" Rin thought for a moment before a large smile appeared on her face and for a moment, though he had no idea why, Sesshoumaru felt the slightest bit of unease. But as it was he didn't have to wait long to find out why. "Can Rin come too? We can go see Kagome-sama and Shippo-chan! Please Lord Sesshoumaru." Rin begged with, what he thought, was a pretty good imitation of puppy dog eyes, for a human at least.

He had to think about this for a moment, he didn't really mind Rin coming along but with Rin Jaken would come along to in case she needed to be watched. Now traveling alone would no doubt be faster but it would also be silent and he was rather used to the girl's non stop chatter. But again he would have to have Jaken come as well. Oh well, he could always throw rocks at him if he be. "Come." Sesshoumaru said as he walked away and didn't bother to see if they would follow, why bother, he knew they would, they always did.

"Yea! Thank you Lord Sesshoumaru." Rin called out happily as she followed after him while Jaken grabbed Ah-Un and joined them.

* * *

Kaede was busy preparing lunch, while Kagome was down at the springs and Shippo was off playing with kids somewhere, when there was a knock at her hut door. She decided it must have been a visiter since all of the villagers would just stick their head in around the bamboo hanging door and call out for her. And sure enough, when she pulled back the door to see who it was, she found a man she didn't know staring back at her. 

Said man, who was quite obviously a houshi, was wearing a long midnight blue robe and carried a staff, that seemed to have three bells at the top. And other than a scar, that went from his eye brow to the middle of his cheek below his right eye, he was pretty much like almost every houshi she had seen before. Bald, slightly taller than she, couldn't tell his build since his robe wasn't form fitting, and by the looks of things, she was probably at least 10 years his senior if not more.

"How might I help ye houshi-sama?" Kaede asked returning her eyes to his when she decided she wouldn't find any thing else about him which might stand out.

"I am looking for a miko who is rumored to work in this village, miko-sama, but I heard she was younger. Perhaps I heard wrong, might you be her?" the houshi asked after giving Kaede his own once over.

"Nay ye must mean Lady Kagome. Might I ask what ye need of her?" Kaede inquired as she moved aside to allow him room to come inside before sitting down next to the fire.

"I have come seeking help aid with a demon problem but I really should not linger." the houshi replied declining her gesture for him to have a seat.

"Lady Kagome is currently at the springs, but she will return here when she be done. Ye may wait her arrival here. Tea?" Kaede asked with a smile as she began making some without waiting his reply.

* * *

Kagome had just been stepping out of the nice hot springs, after relaxing there for close to an hour, when she heard the scream. Grabbing her towel she ran as fast as her legs would carry her back to the village, wrapping the towel around her as she went and cursing the fact her bathing suit had been destroyed a month ago and she was unable to replace it. She had forgotten her bow, quiver, clothes and bag back at the hot springs, but at the moment she didn't care. She knew Kaede would head toward the scream since it was coming from the village and she would have her bow with her and if need be, Kagome could always borrow it. None of that matter at the moment, nor did her state of undress. No there was only one thing on her mind at that very second, her son. 

When she had a chance to look back on it after all was said and done, she was glad she hadn't wasted time grabbing her bow or getting dressed, had she, she would have been too late. As it was, she just barely managed to throw her body over Shippo, who had just a moment ago tripped over a tree root as he ran, as the sword came down and pierced the flesh on her shoulder. Thankfully the attacker had noticed the seemly crazy woman at the last second and managed to pull back. It could have been worse, she could have been dead, but none the less the injury hurt like hell and she could already feel her warm blood flowing down her back. She would need stitches, no way around it.

Her scream echoed out around everyone as Kaede and the houshi arrived and the attacker backed up staring at the woman in shock. "Shippo? Are you okay Shippo?" Kagome asked softly as she leaned up a little bit to look down at him. Too frightened to speak he merely nodded his head. After flashing him a quick smile, Kagome stood up, trying her best to ignore her pain.

Turning to face the attacker, she took a couple of deep breaths trying to at least remotely calm herself, it wasn't working and after a moment she decided to give that up, at least for now. "What in the name of Kami do you think you were doing?!" Kagome screamed at him, causing those around to flintch.

"What did it look like wench? I was killing a demon!" the man shot back after a moment when he had regained his senses and tried to pretend not to notice the woman was standing in nothing more than a towel.

A collective gasp was heard from the villagers wondering who would be so rude as to call the miko a wench but said miko decided to ignore this fact for now for more important matters. "And why were you trying to kill a little kid?" Kagome inquired, had any other demons been around they would have felt the anger rolling off of her in waves, but as it was the only demon around was currently to scared to take notice.

"It isn't a kid, it's a demon!" the man shot back, seemly unaware of the danger he was digging himself deeper into every passing moment.

"Demon or not he is but a child! Why did you attack a defenseless child?!" Kagome screamed vaguely wondering if her eyes would have been bleeding red at the moment had she been a demon.

"It is a demon, what more reason do I need?" the man asked, now seemly bored with this line of questioning.

"You are very lucky _you_ are not a demon at this moment." Kagome decided trying to best to regain control of herself before she did something, that well. she probably wouldn't regret it but it would be frowned upon.

"And why is that?" the man asked with a snort.

"Cause I would purify you." Kagome answered in a calm and cold voice that just might have even made Sesshoumaru proud.

The houshi hearing this, must have decided that she was the miko he was looking for, for he stepped forward and cleared his throat causing Kagome to shoot her glare toward him. "Would you be Lady Kagome?" the houshi asked trying his best to keep his voice steady under her gaze.

"I am houshi-sama. But if you need something of me you will have to wait, at the moment I need to take care of my son and the wound on my shoulder." Kagome declared turning and further ignoring him as she walked over and picked up Shippo and headed toward Kaede's hut. "Lady Kaede can you send someone for my things by the springs please?" Kagome called over her shoulder not bothering to stop, if she did she wasn't sure she could start back up again, the pain was becoming unbearable.

* * *

AN: Warning bit of OOCness for Kagome in this scene, just keep in mind she's injured, the guy is insulting not only her son but also most of her friends, and he's an ketsunoana. 

"Shippo are you up for practicing your stitching?" Kagome asked with a sweetly, trying her hardest to keep the pain out of her voice, hoping that if he was distracted it would help him calm down. She briefly wondered how bad the pain would be if he messed up, not bothering to worry about his stitching since if he messed that up she could always have Kaede fix it later. But after a moment she decided a little extra pain was well worth calming her shaking son.

After a moment she wondered if he had not heard her question and just as she was about to ask again, he nodded his head and crawled out of her arms as her stuff was brought in by a villager. "Lady Kaede might I borrow a bucket for him to stand on?" Kagome inquired with a slight smile as she looked over to her and noticed she was carrying a bucket of water over to her.

"Aye. I shall get it." Kaede said with a nod after thinking for a moment and heading to the other side of the room for where she kept an extra one before returning to them and placing it upside down behind Kagome. After ringing out the cloth in his hand, Shippo climbed up on the bucket and began to wash the blood from her shoulder.

"How can I help you houshi-sama?" Kagome asked when she noticed he had joined them in the hut as well and decided it would be best to get her mind off of the pain.

"Lady Kagome my name is Tadashii and I am here to ask for your help against demons." Tadashii replied after shaking his head and blinking to clear the odd image on a young miko sitting in nothing but a towel and having her wound attended to by a kit.

"What kind of demon?" Kagome asked after a moment as she noticed Shippo was trying to get the thread to go through the eye of the needle. "Relax Shippo you're shaking too much. Take a deep breath and steady yourself, then try again." Kagome instructed sweetly and smiled when he looked up at her. He nodded once and then closed his eyes and she could hear him taking a long deep breath.

"All of them." Tadashii replied coolly and Kagome was sure she had heard him wrong and for a moment just stared at him confused. Looking over at Kaede she noticed she had the same confused look on her face and glancing at Shippo she realized he was holding his breath.

"Breath Shippo." Kagome whispered softly so only he would hear her and after he opened his eyes at her, he let out the air and took another breath. Turning her attention back to Tadashii she asked, "What do you mean all of them?" Kaede seemed to be shaken out of her daze for she blinked a few times, Tadashii however seemed unaffected by it all.

"I mean just that, all of them. Everyone one of those katanai akuma." Tadashii clarified wondering how she couldn't grasp that concept but then again she couldn't be very bright since she was currently helping a youkai to thread a needle to be used on her own person.

"Why would you want to kill all of them Tadashii-sama? There are many good youkai out there." Kagome insisted idly wondering if he was this era's Hitler.

"There is no such thing as a good youkai. Surely a miko, who was powerful enough to defeat Naraku single handedly, would be intelligent enough to know that." Tadashii said although more to himself than to the others in the hut starting to worry if he had gotten the miko wrong after all.

"I do not know what you have been told houshi, but Naraku was not defeated by me alone." Kagome informed him not bothering with honorifics anymore, the longer she was around him, the less she felt he deserved it. "Naraku was defeated by a miko, an inu hanyou, a youkai taijiya, a houshi, a young kitsune, a twin-tailed neko youkai, a full blooded inu youkai and a ookami youkai. You were correct about me being the miko and you have already met the kit. Tell me houshi what part of them risking their lives day after day after day to stop an evil hanyou from becoming all powerful and never asking for a damn thing in return...what part of that makes them evil?" She demanded before biting back a hiss of pain when Shippo began stitching her wound.

"Sorry momma." Shippo whispered when he felt her tense and stopped what he was doing for a moment to lay his hand on her uninjured shoulder.

"You should have someone who knows what they are doing tend to that rather some idiot kit." Tadashii laughed as said kit cringed digging his claws ever so slighting into her shoulder where his hand still rested.

"No one is perfect on their first try and my son is far from an idiot. Now I am done wasting my breath on a pathetic little man who seems to think the murder of innocents is acceptable. Leave houshi before I rethink my decision to not purify a human even if they deserve it." Kagome demanded as is turned toward Shippo to run her hand through his hair and try to calm him back down.

Tadashii snorted in disgust and got up heading out of the hut. Just as he reached the doorway her voice stopped him but he didn't bother to turn around, had he done so, he would have seen a icy stare that could revile Sesshoumaru's. "If you or your men ever attack my son again or I find out you have slaughter another innocent child, I will not hesitate to send you to what ever hell it is you belong in." When she had finished speaking, he stepped out of the hut without another word and quickly made his way to his men and together they leave the village.

* * *

After about five minutes of silence, other than the quiet soothing noises Kagome was making to try and get the kit to relax, Kaede startled them by letting out an undignified snort. Looking over at her Kagome raised her eye brow in question and continued to stroke the kit's hair. "Have ye ever met anyone more idiotic? I have not!" Kaede insisted shaking her head as she rose and went to the fire to prepare some tea. 

"No I can't say as I have." Kagome said as she began laughing soon joined by Kaede and not long after by Shippo and they didn't stop until their sides hurt and they found they were having trouble breathing. "Ready to get back to work little one?" Kagome asked with a smile when the laughter finally died down and she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Yeah momma." Shippo replied as he handed her the needle and picked back up the cloth he had used earlier to reclean her wound since it had bled again. Not long after he had finished stitching her up and moved to put on the bandage but Kagome stopped him.

"Go play outside for a while Shippo, you could use a break. I will have Lady Kaede bandage it. You did a great job son." Kagome said with pride as she pulled him in front of her and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.

"Okay momma." Shippo said with a smile as he started out of the hut. He knew she was going to have Kaede check to make sure the stitches were done well enough but that was okay, it was after all only his first try.

"Stay close to the hut." Kagome called after him as Kaede moved behind her and checked the work before deciding it didn't need to be fixed and after she applied some herbs for the pain, bandaged up the wound.

"He did a fine job." Kaede commented when she had finished and moved to sit next to the fire to wait on the water to boil. Kagome just smiled at her and nodded her head in agreement.

* * *

Early the next morning Kagome awoke when her hand reached up and slapped the side of her face to stop what ever was biting her cheek. Opening her eyes as much as she could so soon after waking up, she looked at her hand and saw a flea gliding in the air before landing on her open palm. "Good morning Myoga." Kagome said groggily as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes with her free hand. 

"Lady Kagome nice to taste..err...I mean see you again." Myoga stumbled as he smiled up at her.

"Sure sure." Kagome replied waving her hand, unfortunately for Myoga, it happened to be the hand he was in and he was sent flying across the room. "Oh sorry." Kagome said absentmindedly as she moved to restart the fire so she could begin making breakfast and give Kaede a break that morning.

"Are you wounded Lady Kagome?" Myoga asked off hand when he noticed she winced slightly when she bent over to add breakfast to the now going fire. "What happened?" Myoga asked deciding not to wait for her answer since it was quite obvious she was indeed wounded.

"Yeah some poor excuse for a houshi named Tadashii came up here yesterday with a few men to try and get my help to destroy all demons and anyways one of his men tried to kill Shippo and I stepped in and took the hit instead." Kagome explained as she her rustling behind her and turned to see Kaede waking. "Morning." Kagome called to her with a smile before turning back to Myoga as he began speaking.

"Did you say Tadashii?" Myoga inquired and at her nod he seemed thoughtful for a moment before continuing on. "It seems you and Lord Sesshoumaru have a common enemy once again." Myoga informed her with a small chuckle.

"Huh?" Kagome asked unintelligently as she tended to breakfast.

"Have you not heard of the attacks on demon villages just south of the border to the west? Tadashii is behind those." Myoga explained and after a moment could see understanding clearly written on her face.

"Yes Lady Kaede told me about that, I was not aware it was the same man. Wish I knew I would have had him stay until a certain taiyoukai could show up." Kagome replied with a snort before turning to gently shake Shippo out of his slumber. "Time to wake up little one, breakfast is almost ready." Kagome informed him as he opened his eyes part way and then yawned causing Kagome to giggle.

"Hey Myoga can you do me a favor?" Kagome wondered turning her attention back to him for a moment before she started dishing up the food. At his nod she continued, "Can you tell Lord Sesshoumaru if he needs my help..." Kagome stopped here to shake her head "No tell him if he wishes to demand I assist him in the matter of Tadashii that I will be here in Edo and would be more then willing to comply." Kagome finished deciding that was a better idea then sending poor Myoga with a message that might make it sound like Sesshoumaru might be so weak as to need help from a ningen. _Yes that would go over real well. _Kagome thought to herself with an inward smirk.

"Of course Lady Kagome." Myoga said with a bow before jumping off the upside down bucket he was standing on and a moment later he was gone.

* * *

**Translations**

**Miko-priestess   
**

**Ningen-human**

**Taiyoukai-demon lord **

**Aka-filth**

**-sama-honorific for lord**

**Tadashii-Righteous**

**Youkai-demon**

**Buta-pig **

**Kitanai-filthy**

**Akuma- demon**

**Houshi-Buddhist priest**

**Taijiya-slayer**

**Hanyou-half demon**

**Ookami-wolf**

**Inu-dog**

**Kitsune-fox**

**Ketsunoana-ass****  
**

* * *

AN: Well there's the next chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly 


	5. A Houshi, a Nomi and a Subeta Part 2

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.

* * *

AN: I'll take clichés for 5 please: 

1. Sess talking with his inner demon or Kagome talking with her conscience in their mind, makes it look like their have multiple personalities to me.

2. Kagome becoming a demon for some odd reason, way too many Kagome turns into a demon or hanyou stories out there.

As _Lilibeth_ pointed out is Sess raping Kagome and her becoming with child. This seems to happen a lot within Sess's mating season -normally wanting to get away from Rin so he doesn't hurt her and ends up finding Kagome- or Kagome being in heat -and Sess unable to resist her scent- I will be staying away from both of these.

* * *

The Path We Walk

Chapter 5: A Houshi, a Nomi and a Subeta Part 2

(A Buddhist priest, a flea and a sword)

* * *

A few hours before dawn, a few days later, Sesshoumaru was resting with his back against a large tree in the clearing he and his companions had made camp in last night, when he felt something biting his neck. Reaching up with his one arm, he slapped the biter away and looked down at his hand to find Myoga. "This Sesshoumaru has told you not to do that." Sesshoumaru reminded him as he squished him between his thumb and index finger. 

"Lord Sesshoumaru 'squish' I have a 'squish' message from 'squish' Lady 'squish' Kagome!" Mygoa finally managed to finish as he started seeing stars and shook his head to try and clear it.

Sesshoumaru stopped for a moment before deciding to squish him once more. "Speak." Sesshoumaru commanded now that he was bored with his 'squish the flea' game.

"Lady Kagome said and I quote '_tell him if he wishes to demand I assist him in the matter of Tadashii that I will be here in Edo and would be more than willing to comply'"_ Myoga said hitting his head a few times to clear the rest of the stars and daze that had settled there.

"Kagome knows of Tadashii?" Jaken asked as he work up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes coming over to them so as to not wake Rin.

"Seems Lady Kagome had a run in with him in Edo." Myoga explained as he turned to look at Jaken for a moment before turning back to Lord Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru leaned back seemingly getting lost in his own thoughts, wondering why the miko would want to help him against another human and why she invoked the challenge to do so. Deciding he would find out soon enough, Sesshoumaru stood gracefully and let the flea drop from his hand as he made his way over to the still asleep Rin and lifted her onto the back of Ah-Un.

Without a word, he turned and started away from the clearing knowing Jaken would follow and would tend to Ah-Un's reins. Jaken and Myoga exchanged looks before Myoga jumped up on him and Jaken walked over and started pulling Ah-Un behind him.

* * *

As Kagome was waking up to start breakfast she heard shouting coming from the village. Not bothering to get dressed, Kagome grabbed her bow and raced outside with a now awake Shippo and Kaede following after. "Youkai! Youkai!" a villager screamed as he ran over to them out of breath. Kagome merely nodded to him before she ran off the direction he had come from. 

Raising her bow and getting an arrow ready, Kagome raced to the out skirts of the village and took aim at the demon the villagers were shouting about before noticing who it was. "Must you scare the villagers like that? It is far too early for this." Kagome complained as she lowered her bow and turned back to the scared villages. "Don't worry go back to your breakfast, he's merely here to drive me insane." Kagome assured them with a wave of her hand.

Sesshoumaru merely raised an eye brow at her -and the fact she was currently standing in front of him in pants and a shirt, that was obviously for sleeping, which were covered in small, white dogs- not that she could see it at the moment with her back turned, and watched as the villagers turned and went back to what they had been doing. "Have they eaten yet?" Kagome asked turning her attention back to Sesshoumaru and ignoring the look he was giving her. Seeing he was just going to stare at her and not answer, Kagome rolled her eyes and turn back toward the village. "Send them in and we can talk Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome called back over her shoulder.

* * *

"I take it Myoga gave you my message." Kagome commented after she returned for changing into her miko garbs and passed out food to everyone but Sesshoumaru. After his slight nod she continued, "And I'm guessing you want to know how I know Tadashii?" Ignoring his growl at the name, she waited again until he gave her a nod and then sighed before continuing. "He showed up a week ago wanting me to join him in his quest to kill all demons. And I don't mean a few, I mean every last one of them. As you can imagine this didn't sit well for me and while I have no intention of killing him, unless he does not heed my warning, I would be more than happy to help you stop him from killing innocent demons." 

_Warning?_ Sesshoumaru wondered with a raised eye brow and was about to voice the question when he saw her look toward the kit with a saddened expression. "Go play Rin." Sesshoumaru commanded when he saw she had finished her meal.

"Hai Lord Sesshoumaru. Coming Shippo-chan?" Rin asked turning to him with a smile. He nodded and followed her out with Jaken close behind.

"I'll be in the village if ye need me." Kaede informed Kagome before nodding to Sesshoumaru and exiting the hut.

"Warning?" Sesshoumaru finally voiced and watched slightly amused as a look of fury crossed her features.

Kagome took a deep breath to calm herself before turning her attention back to the demon lord to answer him. "I warned him if he or his men attacked my son again or if I find out he was killing innocent demon children simply because they are demons that I will purify him." Kagome spat out, just thinking about that creep made her wish she had just purified him then and gotten it over with.

Sesshoumaru briefly wondered if she could in fact purify a human but waved that thought away. "Why invoke the challenge?" Sesshoumaru asked after a moment.

Kagome laughed for a moment before shrugging. "Figured it was the best way to get results and besides had I sent Myoga with a message asking if you needed my help you would probably kill him and then me for suggesting that the great Lord Sesshoumaru needed the help of a ningen." Kagome explained with a smile. "However this way we stay alive and you save face not to mention get a bit of submitting out of me by demanding I assist you. This way it's win/win for both of us." Kagome said with a smirk as she got up to clear the dishes and ready them to be taken to the river to clean.

"This Sesshoumaru could say no." Sesshoumaru reminded her as he followed her movements with his eyes, but otherwise looked bored with the whole thing.

"Hai you could Lord Sesshoumaru. The question is not weather you can say yes or no but rather if you _would_ say no. The choices are say no and deal with him on your own, which I am sure you can, or say yes have assistance in the fight against him and get a point in the 'make Kagome submit' game. Which will it be Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome inquired as she looked over at him and smiled.

"You think to much of yourself miko, this Sesshoumaru has better things to do than waste his time on a challenge with a ningen." Sesshoumaru stated coldly turning his full attention to her.

"Very well Lord Sesshoumaru if you wish to admit defeat to this ningen than that is your right. Now excuse me I have dishes to attend to." Kagome replied with a slight bow before heading out of the hut before he had a chance to reply. She was gambling again and she knew it, he would either kill her for suggesting he had been defeated by a ningen or he would rise to the challenge and prove to her that he hadn't been beaten, but it was just too much fun to push his buttons to give up that easily.

* * *

"What is going on here?" Kagome demanded as she saw most of the village men heading toward the hut she had just exited and felt the presence of Sesshoumaru behind her meaning he had come out as well. 

"You endanger this village by allowing that youkai to be here miko-sama." one of the men called out gaining the nods from the men around him.

"Lord Sesshoumaru is a taiyoukai I suggest you address him as such unless you wish to anger him and he is not a threat to you as long as you stay clear of him. In fact he probably doesn't see you as worth his time to kill. Go on about your day, you should know by now that I would not endanger any of you." Kagome replied as she moved the dishes to one hand so she could wave them away.

"He doesn't belong here and you, miko-sama, should not address him as lord or others may think you have allied yourself with demons." another villager called out seeming to forget her warning about angering the taiyoukai.

"Do you not address a lord from another land as such? Then why shouldn't I?" Kagome replied using her free hand to rub her temple as she felt the beginning of a headache coming on.

"Perhaps Tadashii-sama was right about you!" a third, and seemingly dumber, villager called out shrinking back a bit when Sesshoumaru growled.

Kagome turned to look at Sesshoumaru and gave him a look that said 'I will handle this' before turning back to face the villagers. "Perhaps you can tell me, who was it that spent the last four years protecting your village? Was it that poor excuse for a houshi that thinks he can justify murder simply because someone is demon, who's men attacked a little kid without cause simply because he was a demon, a little kid who has been your children's playmate for years. Was he the one that has protected you from demon and bandit alike?" Kagome asked looking at each of the villagers as she spoke.

"Or perhaps it was this miko who you seem so ready to turn your back on and who's word you ignore for that of one you just met. Perhaps it was I _and_ a hanyou _and_ a kitsune _and_ a houshi _and_ a taijiya _and_ a neko youkai that protected you. Or did you already forget about all of them and all they went through protecting this village? Did you all perhaps already forget everything they went through for you and everyone else?" Kagome continued without giving them the chance to respond.

"And why? Was it because that pathetic man said all demons were bad? Tell me oh wise ones...my son is he bad? Is he evil like that houshi seems to think all demons are? Was Inuyasha evil? How about Kirara is she evil? Maybe one of you can tell me why you would take that man's word over mine when it is obvious what was he says is untrue. Anyone?" Kagome asked as looking around. Her only response was everyone having the decency to looked embarrassed.

"I didn't think so. Now if you will excuse me I have dishes to attend to and heed my warning as long as you leave him alone you are fine. However I will not take responsibility for what happens if you try this again." Kagome warned before shaking her head and walking past the villagers to head to the river to wash the dishes.

Sesshoumaru looked after her with a raised eye brow before turning back to the villagers and growled softly at them. He watched in amusement as their eyes became the size of saucers and they ran away from him back into their huts. He allowed himself a slight smirk before following after the miko.

* * *

"Sorry about the villagers, people seem to do stupid things when they feel threatened." Kagome called over her shoulder, not bothering to turn around, when she felt Sesshoumaru walk up behind her. 

"Hn." was his only response as he sat on the hill behind her and watched as she continued to wash the dishes.

"I will show you a nice camp site before lunch since I doubt you would want to stay in the village and I would rather not have them killed, and judging by their actions earlier it won't take them long to get themselves killed." Kagome informed him as she finished the dishes and began gathering them up.

"Why do you no longer smell of death miko?" Sesshoumaru asked startling her with both his voice and question.

"Huh?" Kagome asked turning to him confused and stopping herself from dropping the dishes.

"This Sesshoumaru noticed the day he found you wounded that you no longer smelled of death as ningens do." Sesshoumaru told her and she wondered for a moment if that was the longest sentence she had ever heard from him.

"Oh I guess it has to do with the wish Inuyasha made." Kagome said with a shrug as she started back toward the village and headed into the hut to put the dishes away. She vaguely noticed Kaede had still not returned.

"Explain." Sesshoumaru commanded as he resumed his spot on the floor leaning up against the hut's wall.

"Very well." Kagome relented after a moment with a sigh as she sat down next to the fire and began preparing tea.

* * *

**Flashback**

_"You're going with her to hell aren't you?" Kagome stated more than asked since she already knew the answer, it was written all over his face when he asked to speak with her in private._

_"I have to Kagome, I owe her that much. Kagome listen to me." Inuyasha said softly as he reached up and wiped away a tear from her cheek before tilting her chin up so she was looking up at him. "You are my best friend Kagome and you mean the world to me. You were the first person to ever accept me just as I was and to truly care for me." Inuyasha said softly as he leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead._

_"But it's not enough is it?" Kagome asked looking into his golden eyes wondering if she had done any thing different if it would have been enough to get him to stay with her._

_"Oh Kagome, it was more than enough and more than I deserved. I wish so much that I could stay here with you but to do that Kikyo's soul will never have the chance to rest and I can't condemn her to an eternity of suffering just to stay here with you. Kagome I want you to know that I love you, I know I have never really acted like it before, but I knew this day would come and I wanted to make it easier on you. I want you to promise me something." Inuyasha said as he pulled her to him in a warm embrace and ran a clawed hand threw her hair._

_"I love you too Inuyasha what do you want me to promise?" Kagome asked softly as she felt the tears slide down her cheeks to land on his shoulder soaking his shirt. She understood why he felt he had to do this and as much as she didn't agree, she wasn't going to stop him. She had promised him long ago that she would stay beside him even if he chose Kikyo and she wasn't going to break that promise now even if it meant she would lose him forever. He had decided to do this and she would stand behind him and allow him to make his own choice._

_"Promise me that you will be happy. I want to know that you won't let this hold you back and you'll move on with your life. You, more than anyone else, deserve to be happy and loved. Promise me you'll fall in love again and not stop yourself from being happy because of me." Inuyasha pleaded before placing a soft kiss on the top of her head._

_"I promise Inuyasha." Kagome whispered with as much of a smile as she could manage and closed her eyes as he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. As they parted, Kagome reached up and wiped a tear from his eye with a smile. "What about this?" Kagome asked after a moment holding the Shikon no Tama up to him._

_"I have an idea." Inuyasha said with a smile as he took the jewel and closed his hand around it. "I wish for Kagome to have the life span of a demon so Shippo won't lose his mother as well and so she will live to see her family again." Inuyasha wished softly as Kagome's eyes widened at every word, but before she could say anything, a bright pink light pooled out of the jewel and covered her. _

_When the light died down Kagome went to ask him why but before she could speak, he placed his finger on her lips. "It had to be selfless. Take care of our son, he will need you now more than ever." Inuyasha explained before kissing her lightly on the forehead again and letting go as he walked away._

_Kagome watched after him as tears continued to fall down her cheeks unchecked and unnoticed. "I promise." Kagome whispered after him, both for her being happy and for taking care of their son. "I promise Inuyasha." Kagome whispered again before wiping away her tears, sighing deeply, and turning to head back to the village._

**End Flashback**_  
_

* * *

"I guess that's why I no longer smell of death since I am no longer dieing." Kagome said with a shrug as she turn away so she could wipe away a tear before he noticed it and thought her weak. Though it did no good, he could already smell the salt in the air but let her believe she had succeeded. 

Pouring herself a cup of tea, Kagome's mind drifted back to that day once again and as she thought about the part she had left out of the story. She didn't think he would be too happy to hear what else had happened and she wasn't ready to deal with what would happen if he did.

**Flashback**

_"I promise Inuyasha." Kagome whispered with as much of a smile as she could manage and closed her eyes and he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. As they parted, Kagome reached up and wiped a tear from his eye with a smile._

_"Will you take care of this for me?" Inuyasha asked as he reached into his sash and pulled out Tessaiga (1) before holding it out for her._

_"Are you sure Inuyasha? Wouldn't it be better with your brother?" Kagome asked after taking the sword and holding it against her body. _

_"No there is no better place for a sword that protects than with the one it protected. It is yours to do with what you want, and if you decide to give it to Sesshoumaru, that is your choice. But I leave it to you." Inuyasha said with a smile. _

_"What about this?" Kagome asked after a moment holding the Shikon no Tama up to him._

**End Flashback**

No if she told him about Tessaiga he would probably demand it and she would lose her last link to Inuyasha. She would give it to him one day since she couldn't use it either and it should remain in their family since it was their father's fang, but for now she could not stand to part with it

"I'll take you to that camp spot I was talking about earlier." Kagome said after a moment as she stood, grabbed her bag, bow and quiver and started out of the hut with Sesshoumaru following.

"Shippo come here!" Kagome called out as she spotted him not far away playing tag with Rin and Jaken.

"Yeah momma?" Shippo called back as they stopped their game and he rushed over to her.

"We're going to take Lord Sesshoumaru to the well so he can set up camp." Kagome told him and after he jumped up on her shoulder, she started walking again with the others following.

* * *

"Is this okay?" Kagome asked as they reached the clearing near the well. Sesshoumaru didn't bother answering her as he went and sat down leaning against a tree. "Guess so." Kagome said with a laugh. 

"Are you staying with Rin?" Rin asked grabbing onto her sleeve to get her attention.

"No I think we will go back into the village, I'm sure Lord Sesshoumaru has tired of my presence by now." Kagome said with a laugh as Jaken started setting up a fire pit.

"Stay." Sesshoumaru commanded as he stood gracefully and disappeared into the trees before she could respond.

"What was that all about?" Kagome wondered looking over at Jaken.

"Lord Sesshoumaru went to scout the area." Jaken replied glancing over at her before going back to tending the fire.

"Okay, Master Jaken can you catch us some fish? And I'll make us some lunch." Kagome said with a smile as she walked over and set her stuff down next to the fire and began taking out what she would need. Jaken nodded and headed toward the river.

"Can you read us a story momma?" Shippo asked as he sat down next to her followed by Rin.

"Hai but after lunch." Kagome replied and gave them each a lollipop to hold them until lunch was ready.

* * *

Sesshoumaru flicked his sword away from himself to remove the blood from the youkai he had just killed and after re-sheathing it, he turned and headed back toward camp. He had felt the youkai's presence nearby after he had sat down and decided to deal with it before it got too close to camp. As he reached the edge of the clearing he raised his eye brow at the sight before him. 

Kagome was sitting on the ground, with a child's head resting on each thigh, and she was reading to them from a book in her hand. Sesshoumaru wondered how the miko knew how to read and then listened in on the story. After a moment he decided the odd story, about a girl, a prince, and a glass shoe, was not worth his attention and figured it must be about ningens for surely no demoness would be baka enough to wear footwear made from glass(2) and walked over to sit and lean against a tree.

Kagome looked up briefly when Sesshoumaru entered the clearing but turned her attention back to the book and once she finished she placed the book on the ground and glanced down to find the children asleep. With a smile she moved them just enough so they were no longer leaning on her and stood up to stretch before walking over to her bag and pulling out her sleeping bag.

Noticing Jaken was laying out Rin's blanket as well, she walked back over to the girl and lifted her into her arms, bringing her over to lay down on the blanket, figuring Jaken wouldn't be able to do it without waking her. While he covered her up, she walked back to Shippo and laid him in the sleeping bag, covered him up, and walked back to sit next to the fire.

"We'll get out of your hair once he wakes Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome assured him with a smile as she glanced over at him. She noticed Jaken laid down against Ah-Un, figuring the kids wore him out and he needed a nap as well.

"You can read." it was a statement and question at the same time and Kagome nodded but a raised eye brow informed her he wanted more of an answer.

"Hai where I'm from everyone is required to go to school to learn how to read and write among other things." Kagome explained as she tended to the fire.

Sesshoumaru was about to ask her more about this 'school' she referred to but the scent that reached his nose stopped him. "You're bleeding." Sesshoumaru pointed out coolly after sniffing the air and realizing it was coming from her.

"Ah it must have leaked through." Kagome commented more to herself as she turned away from him and started digging through her bag. Once she pulled the first aid kit out, she let her shirt slide down her shoulder exposing the bandage and removed the blood caked gauze. "Damn thing should have healed by now." Kagome grumbled to herself wondering once again why the week old wound hadn't begun to heal.

"It's poisoned." Sesshoumaru informed her after sniffing the air once again and catching another scent that he had been unable to detect when the bandage was in place. "How?"

"One of that houshi-baka's men did it."(3) Kagome explained as she began to wash off the blood. "And how can it be poisoned? If it was it should have caused an infection or other problems by now, all it has done is refused to heal." Kagome told him as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Youkai blood, sword wasn't clean. Jaken will give you herbs to fix it." Sesshoumaru told her as he watched her try to bandage it back up with one hand and smirked inwardly when he saw she was having problems.

"Ah okay I'll ask him when he wakes then." Kagome replied as she fumbled with the tape trying to get it to stick and wishing Shippo wasn't asleep at that moment. Fingers touching her back startled her out of her thoughts and she looked over her shoulder to see Sesshoumaru pressing down the tape on the bottom of the bandage.

"The smell was annoying." Sesshoumaru offered as an explanation before moving back where he had been a moment before and sitting back down.

"Ah thanks." Kagome said after a moment shaking her head as she pulled her shirt back up and closed it. Turning back around, she put her stuff back into her bag and stared off into the fire.

"How?" Sesshoumaru asked again startling her and for a moment she was confused as to what he was referring to but soon figured out what he meant.

"I was taking a bath at the springs when I heard Shippo scream and when I ran back into the village I found one of the baka's men about to kill him. So I threw myself over him in time to take the hit but he wasn't able to pull the sword back entirely in time and I got cut. Just my luck the baka doesn't know how to clean his sword." Kagome grumbled the last part more to herself.

"Hn." was his only reply and Kagome had to force herself not to roll her eyes at him. After a few minutes he spoke and startled her again and wondered how anyone could be startled so easily. "At least you no longer look so indecent miko." Sesshoumaru had noticed she was no longer wearing her odd green and white kimono and hadn't had the chance to ask her about it before hand.

"It wasn't indecent it was my school uniform and since I no longer need it, I didn't see the point of wearing it anymore. Besides since I'm here as a miko full time now I figured I should at least look the part and draw less attention to myself." Kagome explained with a shrug.

Sesshoumaru thought about asking her what she meant by 'a miko full time now' but decided to file it away for a later date and instead turned to stare off into the trees.

* * *

_1. According to Wikipedia this is the correct spelling of the sword rather than Tetsusaiga saying and I quote 'In the English and English-subtitled adaptations of __InuYasha, Tessaiga is called "Tetsusaiga" due to an error in the translation of the sword's name. By the time Viz, the company that translates the anime and manga, had realized the error, it was too late.'. So this is where I got my info in case anyone was wondering or wanting to correct the spelling._

_2. Obviously Cinderella and I have no idea if they knew what glass was back then but too lazy to look it up lol._

_3. I used -baka as an insult applied normally where an honorific would go and I have seen others do this I am not sure however it -baka can be used that way or not.  
_

* * *

**Translations**

**Hai-yes **

**Kitsune-fox  
**

**Miko-priestess **

**Taijiya-slayer  
**

**Ningen-human **

**Neko-cat  
**

**Hanyou-half demon **

**Tessaiga-iron-crushing fang  
**

**Houshi-Buddhist priest **

**Shikon (no tama)-Jewel of Four Souls  
**

**Nomi-flea **

**Baka-stupid/idiot  
**

**Subeta-sword **

**Tadashii-righteous**

**Youkai-demon **

**Taiyoukai-demon lord**

**-sama-honorific used for respect or Lord/Lady **

**-chan-honorific used f****or younger children or girls/woman of equal standing.**

* * *

AN: Well there's the next chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly 


	6. A Message from the South

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.

* * *

AN: Introducing the new fragrance from Hairann Cliché number 6: 

1. Sess referring to any female as a bitch-the true definition is a female dog in heat- and while this would make sense seeing as he is a inu demon it would not be accurate all the time.

Okies guys few things, one this will be my last clichés AN unless reviewers send in others since I'm out of ideas lol. I know this chapter is a bit shorter but I wasn't even sure if I was going to get it out today since I overslept and had to go shopping. And heads up I probably will not get a chapter out tomorrow since I will probably be going to my father-in-law's to eat and going out dancing with my husband tomorrow so will be too busy to update. Anyways enjoy the next chapter and R&R :)

**Warning:** A bit of angst in this chapter however this story is only rated T so will not be too bad.

**Question to readers:** Do we despise Tadashii yet or does he need more work?

**Here we go people the chapter you all have...some of you...I have been waiting for! Sesshoumaru gets his arm back!**

* * *

The Path We Walk

Chapter 6: A Message from the South

Feeling the incoming of a youkai, Kagome grabbed her bow and stood up, readying an arrow and pointing it in the direction it was coming from. "Miko." Sesshoumaru called out grabbing her attention and when she looked over he shook his head. Looking at him confused, Kagome shrugged her shoulders and lowered the bow just as the youkai entered the clearing.

"Speak." Sesshoumaru called out not bothering to look at his messenger and instead turned back to look out at the trees.

"Lord Sesshoumaru we received a message from the taiyoukai of the south." The youkai informed him after catching his breath. Sesshoumaru turned to him giving him a look to continue. "Lord Chikara has requested your presence at his home. Seems they have called a meeting of taiyoukai of the four corners." The messenger explained as he noticed the others in the clearing and went to ask about it but Sesshoumaru cut him off.

"Why does he not come to this Sesshoumaru?" Sesshoumaru wondered deciding it better be for a good reason or he wasn't going to waste his time going down south.

"Lord Chikara said that he was injured in battle recently and there are far too many injured around him for him to leave. The attacks on the youkai there have gotten worse." He replied and after a wave of Sesshoumaru's hand, headed back toward where he had come.

"We leave at dawn." Sesshoumaru informed them as he went back to staring out at the trees.

"Very well, we should go say goodbye to Lady Kaede. Will be back soon." Kagome said as she picked up Shippo and headed back toward the village.

* * *

True to his word, the group left moments after dawn and walked the entire day, other than the stop for lunch, and continued on well after dark. Most of the day had been spent with Rin and Shippo playing -resting on Ah-Un when they got tired- and Kagome talking to the kids or Jaken. Very little was spoken to Sesshoumaru and for that he was glad. 

Kagome had just put the children to bed and sat down next to the fire to stare into it. "Sleep." Sesshoumaru commanded causing her to look over at him.

"I don't sleep much while out of the road, I have a son to look out for." Kagome explained as she turned her attention back to the fire and tended to it.

"Do you think this Sesshoumaru incapable of protecting him?" Sesshoumaru wondered raising his eye brow at her.

"I'm sure you can Lord Sesshoumaru, however I will not push my responsibilities onto others. It is my job to watch out for and protect him, not yours." Kagome replied shaking her head.

"Sleep miko. We will walking all day tomorrow." Sesshoumaru reminded her as he looked back out toward the trees surrounding them.

"Fine but I'll take tomorrow's watch and you get some sleep." Kagome insisted as she laid down and covered herself with an extra blanket.

* * *

"Tadashii-sama!" a man called out as he rushed up the hill to where the houshi was standing looking out at the village below. 

"Numbers?" Tadashii requested as he turned to face the man next to him before making his way back to the camp not far away from them.

"About 20 Tadashii-sama, including wenches and gaki. Mostly farmers, I couldn't find any weapon huts." the man informed him as he followed along behind him.

"Very well we attack an hour before dawn." Tadashii addressed all of his men this time before taking his place beside the fire.

"Hai Tadashii-sama!" the men called out together as they raised them mugs in cheer for the morrow's battle.

* * *

Mid-afternoon a few days later found the group entering a small village inhabited by youkai, Jaken had informed them this was the last stop before entering into the southern territories. They had decided to pick up supplies so they could continue on quickly through the south without having to stop since the meeting of the four was fast approaching. 

"You'd think I'd be used to their stares by now." Kagome mumbled to herself when she realized most of the youkai were currently staring at her as they made their way into the village.

"Miko-sama!" a youkai called out from behind them and Kagome turned around to find a female Uma youkai trying to make her way over, but another Uma youkai was holding her back.

"It is not a good idea koi, stay away from her." the male Uma insisted, but his mate would have none of it.

"It will not hurt to ask, she is traveling with a taiyoukai is she not?" the female asked pulling out of her mate's grasps and making her way over to the group, whom had stopped to watch the sight before them. As she came closer Kagome took the time to look over her appearance and noticed she looked much like the Centaurs she had read about. The lower half of her body was that of a horse and her upper that of a women.(1)

"How can I help?" Kagome asked with a smile as the female stopped in front of her to bow in respect to Sesshoumaru and then to Kagome as well.

"Miko-sama my son has a high fever but our healer has been called away to another village and will not return for some days. Might you be willing to see my son?" she pleaded and Kagome didn't need to be a demon to see the worry pouring off of the youkai.

"Of course. Master Jaken might you be so kind as to get me some more arrows and food supplies while Shippo and I tend to the lad?" Kagome asked turning her attention to the little toad.

"Sure." Jaken grumbled about having more work as he started away while Sesshoumaru went to talk to the village head.

"Don't worry Master Jaken, Rin will help you." Rin called out cheerfully as she raced after him.

"Take us to your son." Kagome said with a smile as she turned back to the Uma youkai and, with Shippo on her shoulder, she followed them back to their hut.

It didn't take long to tend to the boy and, after giving his mother the herbs in case his fever spiked again, her and Shippo headed back into the center of the village to find the others. "Miko-sama this is for you." the male Uma youkai she had seen earlier said as he held out a handful of gems.

"Keep them. You do not need to pay me." Kagome assured him with a smile and spotted the others coming their way.

"Are you sure miko-sama?" the Uma asked confused.

"Yes." Kagome replied and bowed, to which he returned, before turning and walking over to the others. "Ready?" Kagome wondered as she took her stuff from Jaken and put it into her bag.

"Hn." was the only response as Sesshoumaru turned and headed back out of the village.

* * *

A few minutes after they had left the village Jaken could contain his curiosity any longer and turned to look up at Kagome. "Why did you refuse payment for your services?" Jaken asked, he could not understand why a ningen would do something without expecting anything in return. 

"I did receive payment, however I refused it in the form of gems." Kagome said looking down at him with a smile. Seeing he was still confused Kagome continued, "I received both their thanks and a learning experience for Shippo since he had yet to tend to a fever. However neither were the true reason I did it." Kagome explain as she reached into a side pocket of her bag and grabbed a couple of lollipops and passed them out to Shippo, Rin and Jaken.

Looking back up Kagome noticed that Sesshoumaru had turned to her with a raised eye brow and Jaken still looked confused. "I helped them simply because it was the right thing to do." Kagome replied with a smile as she turned to watch the kids running around giggling.

* * *

Late that night after everyone, other than Sesshoumaru and Kagome, had fallen asleep he looked up from his spot at the base of a tree and noticed she was staring into the fire again. "Sleep miko." Sesshoumaru commanded turning his gaze away from her and back out into the trees. 

"We've been over this Lord Sesshoumaru. Every other day is my turn to watch and yours to sleep. I realize you don't want another's help, but if they are there offering it there is nothing wrong or weak about accepting it. How long has it been since you slept? I doubt you've had even a wink since you heard about that baka's attacks so close to your border have you?" Kagome asked turning her attention from the fire to the taiyoukai not far away.

Receiving no reply she decided to continue, if nothing else she might get some conversation out of him. "Why do you hate the houshi-baka so much anyways? I doubt it's because of his views on demons, I can't see you going after him until he attacks you or one of yours, and I haven't seen you hate anyone so much that their name alone causes you to growl other than your half brother. And even then it wasn't this bad. So spill what's your beef with this guy?" Kagome inquired and after a few minutes she had given up and turned back to the fire when he finally answered her.

"This Sesshoumaru does not like cowards." Sesshoumaru replied turning his attention back to the miko.

"No I don't suppose you would. Let me guess he came upon you one day while you were healing and tried to attack you." Kagome ventured turning her attention back to Sesshoumaru and noticed he had raised an eye brow at her.

"Hai." Sesshoumaru replied after a moment, he had hidden it on the outside, but he had been slightly shocked that the miko had gotten it correct on the first try.

"Even more reason not to like him then." Kagome decided out loud to herself as she turned back to tend to the fire.

"Cause he attacked this Sesshoumaru?" Sesshoumaru inquired, briefly wondering why the miko would care if someone attacked him or not.

"No because had it been anyone else he would probably killed them when they were already weakened from another fight. No man would attack someone who has already been wounded, and like you, Lord Sesshoumaru, I can not stand cowards." Kagome replied as she mentally added to the list of reasons to hate Tadashii. If this kept up the list would be longer than Sesshoumaru was old before they ever even met back up with him.

* * *

"Shippo make sure Rin doesn't see this!" Kagome called out and with a quick nod he jumped off her shoulder and raced back to Rin to turn her away from the sight before them. "Why is there no smell?" Kagome wondered turning away from the gruesome sight to look at the taiyoukai beside her. 

"The ofuda." Sesshoumaru replied seemingly bored with the whole thing. As though there wasn't a town of slaughtered youkai laying on the ground in front of them.

"Why block the scent? Unless they wanted to make sure no one received a warning before stumbling upon them. It's a warning." Kagome realized speaking more to herself then to the others. Looking around she began counting the bodies to figure out how many graves would be needed when her eyes fell upon a human woman. "Lord Sesshoumaru she's carrying a hanyou isn't she?" Kagome inquired not bothering to turn to face him and instead looked sadly at the pregnant woman in front of her.

After following her gaze, he let his eyes rest on the woman she was referring to before answering. "Hai, hanyou and youkai are carried higher than ningen."

"So in other words it's not just demons but also any human that is with demons he's after." Kagome decided out loud to herself before shaking her head and pulling her bag off of her back. "Master Jaken can I get your help? Lord Sesshoumaru can you go have the children pick flowers?" Kagome requested as she pulled two retractable shovels out of her bag and handed one to Jaken once she had opened it up completely.

Sesshoumaru was about to yell at the miko for telling him what to do until he saw her start to dig and decided it wasn't worth it since if she had sent Jaken to get flowers with them she'd be alone in digging and would take that much longer. Instead he merely growled a warning at her, deciding to remind her who was in charge later, and walked past Shippo and Rin. "Come." Sesshoumaru commanded without bothering to turn to see if they did.

After a few hours they had finished digging the graves and Kagome stood up to stretch. "You can take a break Master Jaken, I'll place the bodies into the graves if you'll be so kind as to refill the graves when I am done." Kagome said not bothering to wait for his answer as she moved over to the first body and began dragging it back to the grave.

Jaken thought about it for only a moment before deciding that filling in dirt was a much better job than dragging the youkai corpses around and with a quick 'sure' went and sat down.

After all of the villagers had been buried, Kagome laid the flowers the kids had picked on their graves and said a small prayer, that Miroku had taught her, for each of them before turning back to the others. "He will pay for not heeding my warning." Kagome swore out loud to herself as she brushed past everyone and started away from the village.

* * *

"Tadashii-sama!" a man called out as he rushed to his side and waited until he turned to him to give his report. "20 more men have arrived asking to join your ranks. They hail from the castle of Lord Taishita and came with a message from the Lord stating that he wishes he too could join you but his wife is pregnant with his heir." the man reported as he nodded behind him to show the new recruits standing not far from them. 

"Very well." Tadashii replied as he walked over to the men. "Perhaps your Lady will bring the heir into a world free of kitanai akuma." Tadashii called out gaining cheers from not only the new men but his own as well.

* * *

All Kagome wanted to do was crawl into her sleeping bag and fall asleep but everything seemed to be against her doing that. First she had to fix dinner, then heal Shippo's skinned knee he got from playing with Rin, and put the kids to bed. Now that Jaken and the children were a sleep, she should be able to as well right? Nope instead it was now the demon lord keeping her from her much needed sleep. 

"How long have you been able to do that miko?" Sesshoumaru inquired and for a moment Kagome's tired mind couldn't figure out what he was referring to but after thinking for a minute she realized what he meant.

"I've been able to heal for about an year now." Kagome replied as she laid down on her blanket thinking that was the end of the conversation, she was wrong again.

"Why did you not heal yourself?" Sesshoumaru asked as he glanced at her from his spot at the base of a tree.

"It doesn't work on myself. I guess it's the Kami's way to make sure mikos take care of others rather than just themselves." Kagome replied after a yawn and closed her eyes beginning to drift off. But still the taiyoukai wouldn't let her rest.

"You will restore this Sesshoumaru's arm." Sesshoumaru commanded and that, in his mind, was the end of it, however a certain miko had other ideas. Now weather it was the lack of sleep, what she had seen and done that day, or perhaps the fact that the arrogant demon was getting on her last nerve, they may never know. What ever the reason, Kagome decided to reply in what was possibly the worst way.

Sitting up she stared at him for a moment before busting up laughing. "Why should I?" Kagome asked in between fits of laughter which abruptly ended when she found herself pinned to a tree a moment later with the clawed hand of a demon around her neck.

"This Sesshoumaru will kill you if you don't miko." Sesshoumaru warned having no real intention of killing her, hurting sure, but she was far too fun to just kill off. Not that he would ever tell her that.

Kagome thought about this for a moment before smirking. "Very well _Lord_ Sesshoumaru." Kagome replied with a snort as she reached her arm down, allowed a large amount of healing to pool in her hand and grabbed onto what was left of his arm. The power surged into his arm causing it to instantaneously heal, -markings and all- bones, tendons, and veins all regrowing and connecting in the span of a second. All of this, along with the fact that she had done it none to gently, caused Sesshoumaru to hiss in pain and let go of her neck.

Deciding her job was done, Kagome turned and started back toward her blanket, but a hand on her wrist stopped her. He whipped her back around to face him while emitting a growl at her. So in retaliation, once again probably caused by lack of sleep and already being pissed off at the demon, she grabbed the arm he was holding her with and allowed a little bit of purifying power to seep through her fingers.

Sesshoumaru almost dropped her wrist when he felt the stinging from her power on his wrist but stopped himself at the last second and instead growled at her again. He was expecting her to up the power flow, try to get away, or even yell at him. He, however, did not expect her to growl back. He, Lord Sesshoumaru, taiyoukai of the western lands was being growled at -again- by none other than a little ningen miko. Instead of trying to run or scream or even being afraid of him, she was simply growling back. Slightly intrigued, Sesshoumaru merely raised a delicate eye brow at her.

* * *

_1. I have read myths where the Centaurs__ were male only and some where they had females as well. Since these are in fact Uma youkai and not Centaurs__ it really doesn't matter, just thought I would point this out in case anyone wanted to bring up the fact that Centaurs__ where known to be only male._

* * *

**Translations**

**Hai-yes**

**Miko-priestess**

**Ningen-human**

**Chikara-Strength (Chi-kah-rah)  
**

**Youkai-demon**

**Taiyoukai-demon lord**

**Inu-dog**

**Gaki-kids**

**Uma-horse**

**Koi-love (used this way it is a pet name between lovers/mates)**

**Taishita-great/important (Tie-she-tah)  
**

**Kitanai-filthy**

**Akuma- demon**

**Kami-a God**

**Ofuda-a talisman issued by Shinto shrine****s**

**Houshi-Buddhist priest  
**

**Tadashii-righteous (Tah-dah-she)  
**

**-Sama-****honorific used for respect or Lord/Lady**

**Hanyou-half demon**

**Baka-idiot/stupid**

**-Baka- implies insult rather than respect  
**

**(The names are pronounced going by what I remember from taking Japanese back in high school so may not be perfect)  
**

* * *

AN: Well there's the next chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly**  
**


	7. Taiyoukai of the Four Corners

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.

* * *

AN: Once upon a time there was 7 clichés: Okies I was wrong I found more while trying to find a fan fic to read lol. 

1. Inuyasha Beauty and the Beast style...seen at least 20 of theses.

2. AU where the main character, who it is depends on the story, has an abusive parent.

3. Kagome being either punk or goth in AUs. o.O

4. Vampires, memory loss and referring to Shippo as a squirrel or other small rodent. Seems to be a lot of vampire stories out there even some...half vampires...come on tell me have you ever heard a vamp story where they could have kids? (other than the weird Angel ep with Darla lol). Way too many memory loss stories out there. And come on people he's a FOX!

And sorry this chapter is coming out a bit late I was working on it last night when fanfiction went down for repairs or what not and it was down for hours and I keep my story on here so couldn't work on it. And heads up for the next few weeks, esp after the 18th, I might be a bit behind on the updates. I will be going to Texas for two weeks to visit my family and so probably won't have much time to update. But after the first of Sept I should be back to normal.

* * *

Previously on The Path We Walk: _Sesshoumaru almost dropped her wrist when he felt the stinging from her power on his wrist but stopped himself at the last second and instead growled at her again. He was expecting her to up the power flow, try to get away, or even yell at him. He, however, did not expect her to growl back. He, Lord Sesshoumaru, taiyoukai of the western lands was being growled at -again- by none other than a little ningen miko. Instead of trying to run or scream or even being afraid of him, she was simply growling back. Slightly intrigued, Sesshoumaru merely raised a delicate eye brow at her.  
_

* * *

The Path We Walk

Chapter 7: Taiyoukai of the Four Corners

"Momma is everything okay?" called out a sleepy Shippo as he sat up in the sleeping bad, careful not to wake Rin, and looked over at the two locked in a growling competition.

"Yeah sweetie go back to sleep. I'm just have a staring contest with a taiyoukai, nothing to worry about." Kagome assured him as she looked over with a smile.

"Okay momma good night." Shippo replied and the moment his head hit the ground he was fast asleep again.

"Well unless you want to deal with a very cranky miko tomorrow I suggest I get some sleep too Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome reminded him as she released his arm and turned back to walk over to her blanket.

Sesshoumaru looked down at the hand shaped burn on his wrist, watching while it healed itself, and walked back over to his spot against a tree. Looking over at the miko he realized she was already asleep and decided she was fun to have around. With everyone else it was always 'yes milord' but she some how managed to stay respectful and yet defy him in the same breath. Yes he was looking forward to seeing what she did once they arrived down south.

Stretching his newly restored arm out, Sesshoumaru filed away a reminder to punish the miko for way she had healed his arm before resting his head back and closes his eyes to await dawn.

* * *

The small group had finished packing up their camp and were about to head out when Jaken's squawk interrupted them. "Lord Sesshoumaru how did you get your arm back?" Jaken wondered turning everyone's attention to the taiyoukai who now had both arms. 

"Painfully." Kagome replied for him with a laugh as she put her backpack on her shoulders earning herself a growl from Sesshoumaru who didn't find it quite as funny as she had. Ignoring the growl and the confused look from Jaken, Kagome walked to the edge of camp to wait for the taiyoukai to be ready to leave.

Walking past her with a flurry of silk, Sesshoumaru made his way to the front of the group and they started out. A few minutes later he heard Kagome tripping over her own feet and having problems walking and turns around, picking her up, and places her on Ah-Un. Before she has a chance to question him he says, "Sleep," before heading back to the front of the group.

Kagome watched him for a moment before shrugging and laying against Ah-Un to catch up on some missed sleep.

* * *

"Ready men? Leave no youkai standing!" Tadashii called out as he stood on the hill over looking a small village below. 

"Hai!" the men called out and a moment later they were given the word to charge down.

Tadashii watched the group, made up of mostly houshi and warriors from kingdoms who's lords agreed with his view of 'the only good demon is a dead one' and sent their men to aid him. He was, however, still slightly sore that miko had refused to join him and had even threatened him. He of course was not scared of her, in fact he was rather pissed that the miko had spoken to him like that. Once all the other demons were taken care of he would go back for the kit and teach her her place.

Shaking his head to clear the thoughts of the miko, Tadashii looked back over the town and watched as the males tried to put themselves in between the females and gaki and his men. This of course did no good and soon his men had wiped out all of the villagers.

However he and his men failed to notice the young taka youkai who had transformed into her true form and flew away toward the south. _Must find Lord Sesshoumaru._ the young taka thought to herself as she headed for the southern taiyoukai knowing Sesshoumaru was currently heading that way.

* * *

Stopping the group in front of a hot springs, Sesshoumaru walked back and pulled Kagome off of Ah-Un none to gently and slightly nodded to the springs. "Bathe." Sesshoumaru commanded as he turned away and motioned for Jaken to follow him. "Perhaps we should have brought those ofuda then this Sesshoumaru wouldn't have to smell you miko." Sesshoumaru called back over his shoulder. 

Kagome scowled at him a moment before busting up laughing. "Wow I didn't know the great Lord Sesshoumaru even had a sense of humor!" Kagome called back after him as she set her bag down next to the springs.

"Alright little ones time for our bath." Kagome said with a smile as she turned to the kids and helped them to get undressed before undressing herself and stepping in the hot water.

After leaving them at the springs, Sesshoumaru and Jaken walked until they were no longer in sight and the taiyoukai sat against a tree while Jaken went about collecting wood for the fire.

* * *

Jaken had just finished building the fire when her scream rang out. "Stay." Sesshoumaru commanded as he rushed away from the camp and back to the springs where Rin's scream had come from. He was expecting a lot of things when he arrived at the springs, a demon standing over them about to attack, even finding the demon had already finished them off. He, however, was not expecting to see what he did when the springs came into view. 

Kagome standing, completely nude, with an arrow notched and ready to shoot at the Tora youkai that was currently charging at them, for the second pass if the cut down her leg was any indication. The wind picked up blowing her hair behind her and giving the demon lord an unobstructed view of the miko in all her glory as her powers flared around her, casting her in a soft pink light. _Not bad for a ningen._ Sesshoumaru decided to himself as she let go of the arrow and it flew straight to the youkai, killing it instantly.

Sesshoumaru walked toward the springs and the slight noise he made caused Kagome to turn to him with her bow raised. Seeing who it was she lowered the bow and at that moment seemed to realize her state of undress and with an 'eep' dropped her bow and sank back into the water covering herself with her arms. "A bit too late for modesty miko." Sesshoumaru said with an inward smirk as he noticed she turned a very bright red.

"Would you mind turning around so I can get dressed Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome grumbled looking over at him as the kids stepped out and got dressed.

"Hai this Sesshoumaru would." replied the ever stoic taiyoukai while inwardly the smirk grew as did the miko's blush.

Grumbling under her breath about 'perverted youkai' Kagome stepped out of the springs with her back to him and quickly dried off before getting into a clean set of miko garments. "Happy?" Kagome asked sarcastically as she turned back to the demon lord picking up her bag.

"Hai." Sesshoumaru replied coolly as he turned and started back to the camp ignoring the huff from the miko.

* * *

As they began walking across the court yard Kagome noticed the guards watching them but before she could mention it to the others, she saw a Doragon and a Hagetaka youkai heading their way. "Lord Sesshoumaru good to see you again." the Doragon greeted with a smile as they stopped in front of the group. 

"Lord Chikara." Sesshoumaru greeted in return with a slight nod of his head before turning toward the other. "Lord Kaigaishii."

"Lord Sesshoumaru." Kaigaishii returned the greeting while looking over the others in the group.

"We are just waiting for the East to arrive and we will be able to start the meeting of the four corners." Chikara explained but before Sesshoumaru was able to comment, a gust of wind came from behind them and when it had died down, it revealed a Ookami youkai in its place.

"Sorry I'm late. The East taiyoukai couldn't make it and so sent me in his place."(1) Kouga explained bowing to the three lords before noticing Kagome standing slightly behind Sesshoumaru. "Lady Kagome." Kouga said with a bow of his head as he smiled at her.

"Hello Kouga-kun." Kagome replied with a kind smile. "Shippo go play with Rin and Jaken." Kagome said turning her attention to the kitsune on her shoulder.

"Hai momma." Shippo replied as he bounced over to Rin's shoulder as the group started walking away.

Soon they had entered the study and as Chikara was taking his place on the pillow at the head of the table he noticed Kagome was still with them. "This is hardly the place for a wench, and a ningen one at that."

"Very well Lord Chikara." Kagome said with a slight bow as she turned to leave the room but Sesshoumaru's hand on her arm stopped her.

"The miko stays." Sesshoumaru informed them as he let go and walked over to take his seat.

"I agree. Lady Kagome should be here." Kouga agreed as he took his seat as well.

Chikara looked over at Kaigaishii for his input. "Perhaps we can figure out the wench's worth if she remains." Kaigaishii said after a moment looking Kagome over.

Kagome ignored the lecherous look the Hagetaka was giving her and turned her attention back to Chikara. "Very well seems I have been out voted. Sit wench." Chikara replied and waited until she had taken her place next to Sesshoumaru, at the end of the table, before continuing. "Perhaps it would be better to go over what we know about this ningen to start with." Chikara said as he looked around the table to see who wanted to go first.

"If I may Lord Chikara." Kagome spoke up after a few moments and after a sigh and nod from him she continued. "Tadashii is a houshi who seems to think merely having demon blood running through your veins is a good enough reason for you to die. As we have learned he has no problems with killing ningens who have any none combative contact with demons. From what I can tell from the few of his men I have met, he has not only other houshi with him but warriors as well. More than likely guards from kingdom's who share his view. He is a coward which makes him more dangerous, he will not follow the rules of battle instead he will rely on sneak attacks and other tasteless tactics." Kagome explained as she looked around the table at everyone.

"How do you know so much about this ningen wench?" Kaigaishii asked after a moment of silence.

"My name is Kagome, if you do not wish to use it then call me miko, I will not answer to wench Lord Kaigaishii." Kagome replied as politely as she could as she glanced over at the taiyoukai before continuing. "And to answer your question he came to me trying to get me to join his ranks."

"How do we know you are not working for him now miko?" Chikara asked not bothering to hide his distrust of her.

"The houshi-baka's men tried to kill my son. Not to mention most of my friends and allies are demons, why would I join forces with that pathetic scum?" Kagome asked looking over at him. "Besides wanting to wipe out all demons, including innocent children, simply because of their blood is not something I would ever agree with."

"So you say." Kaigaishii replied coldly. Kouga went to speak up but Kagome raised her hand to silence him.

"I can handle this Kouga-kun." Kagome assured him with a smile before turning back to the others. "I understand your mistrust of me, not only am I a ningen but I am also a miko and it is not hard to believe I might want you dead. However I was not raised as a miko and have only been training for the last four years so what ever hatred for demons I should have learned I missed out on. Think of it this way, if I was working for him, wouldn't I have already taken you two out?" Kagome wondered with a smirk as she looked from Chikara to Kaigaishii.

"Ha no pathetic miko could harm me." Chikara laughed at her while she merely smiled at him.

"You are right Lord Chikara no pathetic miko could. I, however, am far from pathetic. Not as powerful as Lord Sesshoumaru or Kouga-kun but I need not be a demon to sense the difference in our powers. However we are not here to argue. I suggest we get back to the task at hand." Kagome said with a slight bow of her head to the lords.

"I agree. I can assure you Lady Kagome is trustworthy, I have known her for years now." Kouga said as he looked at her with a smile before turning his attention back to the lords. "Last I heard Tadashii was steadily making his way through the western lands. Our main concern should be with stopping him."

"What are your views on all of this Lord Sesshoumaru?" Chikara asked turning toward the quiet taiyoukai.

"Tadashii needs to die soon." Sesshoumaru said coolly looking at Chikara before turning back to look at the wall where his gaze had been a moment before.

"And what about the miko?" Kaigaishii wondered grabbing the stoic taiyoukai's attention.

"What about her?" Sesshoumaru asked raising his eye brow at his fellow lord.

"Do you trust her as well?" Chikara inquired looking from Sesshoumaru to the miko in question.

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead replied, "This Sesshoumaru trusts no one, however, the miko is loyal to a fault, even if it is misplaced."

It was Kagome's turn to resist the urge to roll her eyes knowing full well that he was referring to his late half brother.

* * *

"Tag you're it Master Jaken!" Rin called out giggling after tagging the toad demon and running away from him. 

"I'll get you Rin!" Jaken yelled as he chased after her smiling. A loud noise from outside the castle walls caught his attention and he turned around to see Kurohyou youkai throwing the guards out of the way and rushing into the court yard. "Rin! Shippo! Get behind me!" Jaken called out as he brought the staff of two heads out in front of himself.

The two kids did as they were told and quickly got behind him as Shippo gathered some fox fire into his hand in case it was needed. Before either of them had a chance to react, one of the Kurohyou charged over to them and knocked Jaken away with a swipe of his claws. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" Rin screamed out as the Kurohyou turned to them and started making its way over to them.

Shippo jumped in front of Rin as he started shooting fire at the youkai hoping he would be able to avoid its claws and hold it off long enough for help to arrive.

* * *

Lord Chikara, who had just called Kagome a wench again, was a little worried when said miko jumped up onto the table pulling her bow off her shoulder and grabbing an arrow from the quiver on her back, however his fears, he noticed, were unneeded since she ran across the table and jumped over him ignoring him completely. 

The lords stared at her in disbelief as she rushed over and jumped out of the window. They briefly wondered if she realized they were on the fourth floor and that the height of each floor was at least ten feet before the heard Rin's scream and jumped into action as well.

As Kagome was falling from the window, she readied her arrow and fired it at the youkai about to hit Shippo, purifying it instantly. "Get Rin out of here Shippo!" Kagome called out to him as she readied another arrow, shooting it at the next youkai to head toward them. Nodding his head to her, he transformed into a hawk and grabbed onto Rin's shoulders before taking off into the sky.

This was about the time Kagome noticed the flaw in her plan since the ground was rapidly approaching her. As she was trying to figure out what to do to make her landing a little less painful, she felt strong arms wrap around her legs and back. Turning she noticed Kouga shaking his head at her. "What were you planning on doing? Hitting the ground?" Kouga asked with a laugh as he landed gracefully on the ground and set her on her feet.

"Didn't think that far ahead." Kagome said with a laugh as she grabbed another arrow and turned back toward the invading youkai. "Thanks Kouga-kun!" Kagome called over her shoulder as she raced toward the youkai letting another arrow fly.

* * *

"Ahh!" Shippo cried out as he saw a Kurohyou leaping up to attack them, and with Rin currently in his claws, he had no way to defend them from the incoming attack. As he waited for it to come, turning his body to take the blunt of the attack, he saw the youkai be torn to shreds just as his claw swiped at him, knocking him off balance and making him lose his concentration so he transformed back into a kitsune. 

Looking up he noticed it was Sesshoumaru who had destroyed the youkai a moment before he grabbed onto both of them and landed gracefully on the ground. "Get inside." Sesshoumaru commanded as he turned away and headed back to the battle.

With a quick, "Hai Lord Sesshoumaru!" the kids rushed into the safety of the castle. Growling, Sesshoumaru rushed to the nearest youkai and sliced through it with his claws deciding it wasn't worth dirtying his blade.

* * *

Chikara and Kaigaishii watched from the side lines after deciding the group didn't need their help against the Kurohyou youkai that were attacking. Turning their gaze to Kagome, they found the miko notching three arrows and letting them fly off killing just as many youkai and readying three more without taking a moment's pause. 

Looking at each other, they decided the same thing at the very same moment. They were glad the miko was on _their_ side.

* * *

_1. I know most tend to say Kouga is the taiyoukai of the east but since he seems to only rule over the small tribe with him and in the episode where Ayame was trying to get him to return with her, it seemed like her grandfather had more power than Kouga so my guess is that he is the taiyoukai. At the very least he is in this story hehe._

* * *

**Translations**

**Hai-yes**

**Miko-priestess**

**Ningen-human**

**Houshi-Buddhist priest  
**

**Tadashii-righteous**

**Gaki-kids **

**Taka- hawk**

**Youkai-demon**

**Taiyoukai-demon lord**

**Tora-tiger**

**Ofuda- ****a talisman issued by Shinto shrine****s**

**Doragon-dragon**

**Hagetake-vulture**

**Chikara-strength**

**Kaigaishii-brave**

**Kitsune-fox**

**Ookami-wolf**

**-Kun- honorific for males**

**Kurohyou-panther  
**

* * *

AN: Well there's the next chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly 


	8. Westbound with Old Friends

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.

* * *

AN: Okies sorry this chapter took so long, between coming to the states to visit my family and catching a nasty cold the second day I was here, btw explain to me how someone catches a cold in TX in the middle of August???, anyways I wasn't able to work on the story until my cold pretty much went away. That and my mom was always on her computer lol. 

Cliché 8 come on down!:

1. Kagome turning bitter and wanting to kill Inuyasha or to commit suicide when he betrays her. Any time I see these I have to wonder if people writing them even know who Kagome is.

2. Kagome running off to the future while pregnant only to come back after having the kid/s.

3. Kagome's father coming back and having an important roll, don't remember if they ever said what happened to him but if he was important wouldn't he be there to begin with?

* * *

The Path We Walk

Chapter 8: Westbound with Old Friends

A while later they had all gathered around the dinning room table as a feast was brought out and set before them. They all waited until Chikara had taken his first bite and began eating themselves as conversations started up around the table.

"Lord Chikara?" Kagome said grabbing the taiyoukai's attention as well as a few others around the table. "Why did the Kurohyou attack?"

"They are rebels that live deep in the forest on my land, they, however, believe the South belongs to them and wish to take in from me. Unfortunately for them, they have neither the numbers no the power to do so."(1) Chikara explained looking up at her before turning back to his meal.

"Ah." Kagome replied after a moment and began eating again as well.

* * *

"Lord Sesshoumaru there is a Taka youkai here asking for an audience with you." a guard informed him after walking into the dinning room with a bow. 

A slight nod from Sesshoumaru was his only reply and a moment later the doors opened up to show a young female youkai with long brown hair matching the wings on her back.

"My Lord, I am Airashii." the girl said with a bow before kneeling down on one knee. "I have come to inform you that the ningen known as Tadashii has made it to the Taka village. As it stands he only has a few more villages to go through before he makes it to the Western castle. Also I was able to count forty men before I lost track." she explained as she kept her eyes on the ground in front of her.

"How does the Taka village fair?" Sesshoumaru inquired after thinking over the information for a moment.

"It was destroyed my lord." she answered sadly. Sesshoumaru merely nodded his head and the Taka youkai was escorted out to be given a room for the night.

* * *

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome called out to him later that night after finding him out in the garden. He glanced at her for a moment to let her know he was listening before turning back toward the stars which he had been watching a moment before. 

"I would like to send for Sango and Miroku to help with Tadashii when we head to the west for him, would you mind?" Kagome wondered as she sat down a little ways away from him and turned her gaze to the stars as well.

"Just them." Sesshoumaru replied after a moment and after a quick _thanks_ Kagome headed back inside to search out the Taka she had seen earlier. Which easier than she had thought it would be since the moment she stepped inside she spotted the youkai heading down the hall toward her.

"Airashii right?" Kagome greeted with a smile as she stopped in front of the girl.

"Hai miko-sama." Airashii replied with a bow.

"You're heading back up west soon correct?" Kagome inquired and after a nod from the young girl she continued, "Would you mind delivering a message to the Taijiya village and let Sango and Miroku know what is going on and that I request their help in the west?"

"Of course, but how will they know it is truly from you?" Airashii wondered after thinking for a moment.

"Just tell them I said 'the well is the path'." Kagome replied with a smile and after Airashii bowed, she started toward the meeting hall.

* * *

"Have the messengers been sent?" Chikara asked as he walked down a long hallway in his castle and met up with Kouga and Kaigaishii. 

"Yes, our men should be prepared for battle when we reach them. Lord Kouga and I shall head out in moments." Kaigaishii replied with a slight nod.

"Very well." Chikara said as Sesshoumaru as his group joined them.

"We are leaving as well to get the West ready." Sesshoumaru informed them stoic as ever. And after slight bows from the group, he turned and left knowing his group would follow.

* * *

"Tadashii-sama." a man called out as he walked over to where the houshi was sitting next to the camp fire. After the houshi turned his head to him he continued, "The men have scouted ahead as you asked, there are only six more youkai villages until we reach the castle of the western lord." 

"Good the battle will soon be upon us and we will be that much closer to ridding this world of aka." Tadashii replied coldly as he turned his gaze back to the fire.

* * *

"One step youkai and we will not hesitate to kill you." a young taijiya called out a moment after watching a taka transform into it's human shape in front of him. 

"I have come with no ill will. My name is Airashii and I bring a message for Lady Sango and Lord Miroku." Airashii replied with a slight bow of her head.

"What message could a youkai bring that they would want to hear?" another man spat out, his distrust of the youkai evident in his voice.

"It is from Lady Kagome." Airashii replied having no intention of relying the message to the ningens in front of her. As the man went to speak again a soft gasp was heard as a woman came forward with a houshi at her side.

"Kagome-chan sent you?" Sango inquired while inwardly trying to figure out why Kagome would send a youkai they didn't know into the heart of the taijiya village.

Miroku on the other hand was thinking a bit more clearly and decided to ask the more important question at the moment. "How do we know Lady Kagome really sent you?"

"She said to tell you 'the well is the path' what ever that means." Airashii replied rolling her eyes slightly at the strange expression.

Perking up at the words, Sango smiled a bit before speaking again, "Come inside and we can talk." then turned and headed inside her and Miroku's hut with him and Airashii following. After serving her some tea, Sango sat down next to Miroku and gestured for the youkai to speak.

"Lady Kagome wanted you to know that there is a ningen houshi by the name of Tadashii going around with the sole purpose of killing ever youkai. He cares not if they are innocent, women or children. He believes that just being youkai makes you evil and deserving to die. In a few days time he will be at the castle of Lord Sesshoumaru for a battle with him and others and Lady Kagome wishes the two of you to be there as well." Airashii explained before taking a sip of her tea.

"He must have a lot of men if our help is needed as well." Miroku decided after thinking the information over for a moment.

"When he attacked my village there were at least forty but I believe he knows he will be fighting Lord Sesshoumaru soon since he seems to be heading directly to his castle, and most likely will decide to bring more men. But truthfully it seemed as though Lady Kagome just wanted you by her side." Airashii explained and Sango and Miroku exchanged knowing glances.

"Thank you for letting us know. We will head out as soon as we are ready." Sango informed her with a slight bow and watched her leave before turning to gather her stuff with Miroku.

"What's that for?" Miroku asked nodding to the extra weapon Sango was carrying as they walked out the door.

"You remember what happened last time don't you?" Sango asked with a laugh as she waited for Kirara to transform before climbing onto her back followed by Miroku.

"Good point." Miroku agreed with a slight chuckle.

* * *

The more resent Inu-tachi arrived at the western palace and was straight away lead toward the back. As they stopped in front of a wall, they watched as Sesshoumaru sniffed the air a few times before being satisfied there were no one close to them, and pushed on the wall in front of him. After a few moments the wall moved back making a slight scraping sound on the floor and revealed a passage way. 

"What's this Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked after walking inside as his gesture to do so and followed in by the others.

"This Sesshoumaru's true home. The castle is for show." Sesshoumaru explained as he moved the wall back in place and began leading the others down the passage way which soon opened up into a labyrinth of cave tunnels. Leading them through the tunnels took only a few minutes and soon he was standing in front of another wall at the back of a large room.

"This is a safe room. For pups during an attack." Sesshoumaru explained after pushing the wall in and revealing another room behind it. "Rin and Shippo will stay here with Jaken and Ah-Un to guard until this battle is over." Sesshoumaru demanded and after the children nodded to him, they took off to explore the room.

"There are food and supplies stored over there." Sesshoumaru informed Jaken pointing over to the side before turning his attention back to the toad at his feet. "Let nothing happen to them." Sesshoumaru warned before walking back out of the room. After Kagome said her goodbyes, she followed after and watched as he pulled the wall back into place. Once again it seemed nothing more than a normal wall, not even seams shown to inform any of the hidden room behind.

Noticing Sesshoumaru walking away, Kagome quickly followed after and stayed close behind until they had left the den and were back inside the castle walls. Once the wall was back in place, they headed for his study to receive any reports or updates there might be.

* * *

Dawn of the next day was greeted with Sesshoumaru still seated at his desk while going over papers he had been putting off while Kagome slept on the floor near by. She had fallen asleep late in the night and he had neither the time nor the want to wake her so he had just let her be, however since he now felt the other taiyoukai approaching it was time she got up. 

Walking silently over to her still form he none to gently shook her shoulder rousing her from her slumber instantly. "Yeah yeah I'm up." Kagome mumbled waving her hand at him before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and giving off a long yawn.

"They're here." Sesshoumaru informed her as he walked back over to where he had been seated as a knock came from the door. "Enter." Sesshoumaru called out and the door opened to reveal Chikara, Kaigaishii, Kouga and one of Sesshoumaru's messengers standing there. The three took their seats in front of Sesshoumaru as the messenger walked over to him and bowed.

"Lord Sesshoumaru we have received reports that Tadashii is roughly a few days away from out steps." the youkai informed him and after a slight nod that he had heard, he turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Let us discuss our plans." Sesshoumaru said stoically as he turned his attention back to the others.

* * *

"You made it!" Kagome cried cheerfully as she rushed down the steps and flung herself into the waiting arms of Sango as Miroku climbed off of Kirara behind her. 

"But of course Lady Kagome." Miroku said with a grin as he too received a hug and after earning a look that warned future pain from Sango, brought his hand, that had been reaching for Kagome's backside, back up to her back.

"So what have we missed?" Sango inquired as Kagome lead them into the castle where the others were waiting for them.

"The other taiyoukai have arrived with their men and last report shows Tadashii a few days away." Kagome informed them as she lead the way down the long hallway.

"Is Jaken guarding the children?" Sango wondered and after Kagome's nod she continued, "Would you like to have Kirara join him for some extra backup?"

"This Sesshoumaru will take her there." Sesshoumaru answered before Kagome had a chance as he walked over to them and turned back not bothering to wait to see if she would follow.

"Come on I'll take you guys to the study." Kagome said with a smile after watching Kirara take off after the lord and continued on the way she had been going.

* * *

"So what's with the bow?" Kagome wondered as she was opening the door to the study having noticed it on Sango's back. 

"Oh this is for you. It's made from..." Sango started but as she noticed who was in the room decided that saying 'youkai bone' probably wasn't the best idea and changed tacks, "the same stuff as mine so it will be stronger. I'm sure we all remember what happened in the battle against Naraku and I don't think you want your bow to break again." Sango explained and bow respectfully as she was introduced to the taiyoukai.

"What happened with Naraku?" Chikara inquired after everyone had taken their seats and were waiting for Sesshoumaru to return.

As Sesshoumaru was coming back in through the door Kagome began recounting the battle that most of them had taken part in.

**Flashback**

_The battle had been going on for what seemed like hours for everyone around the battlefield, no end seemingly in sight. Kagome looked around taking in all of the damage they had inflicted and what had been inflicted to them. Kirara and Shippo were off fighting a few lesser youkai a little ways behind Kagome with nothing more than a few scratches._

_Miroku was currently fighting off another one of Naraku's incarnations with his staff and ofuda since he could not use his wind tunnel with Naraku's insects around. A few gashes on his arms and a seemingly slight limp were his only outward injures she could find._

_Sango stood not far from him, every so often glancing over her shoulder to check on the normally lecherous monk, while fighting off a small group of youkai with her katana since she had lost her boomerrang told the beginning of the battle. The way she was favoring her arm made Kagome think that it was broken or at least seriously injured._

_Kouga was a little ways away from her fighting with Kagura trying to get revenge for his fallen brothers. Kagome quickly noticed the glow from the shard that was normally in his left leg was gone after her attention was drawn to it by the pool of blood running down his leg. It didn't seem to slow him down however and seemed to have the upper hand in that fight._

_Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were currently, and for once, fighting together against Naraku rather than arguing over who gets to kill him. Sesshoumaru was supporting some pretty bad gashes across his chest and arms but she wasn't too worried about him since she had seen him come back from worse._

_Inuyasha seemed to be the worst off from the group, covered mostly from head to toe in blood, the majority his own. His speed and strength wavered slightly and his knuckles had long turned white trying to keep a hold of his sword. _

_Turning her attention back to Shippo and Kirara, she quickly strung and shot an arrow at a youkai that had made it past their defense and was about to attack Rin, while Jaken was currently trying to fend off another one from the other side. Noticing, Jaken gave her a quick nod of thanks before turning his attention back to the youkai he was fighting._

_Notching another arrow and turning back to the battle with Naraku, Kagome let it fly toward a youkai that was closing in on the inu brothers while their backs were turned. Once it was killed, she readied another and pointed it at Naraku's open side, letting it fly as well._

_He howled in pain as the purity power shot a gapping hole into his side and he turned his attention to Kagome. Ignoring the glare he was sending her, she notched another arrow and began to take aim as he threw the brothers away from him and rushed toward her._

_A tentacle shot out from his body latching onto the bow before she had the chance to release, and broken it in half as his body continued to advance on her. Kagome looked down at her bow, now only connected by the string, wondering what in the world to do now, but had no more than a moment before he was on her and his tentacle racing toward her neck._

_Allowing her power to seep into the bow as she would an arrow, the normally light brown color of the wood took on a pink hue, her powers crackling the air around it. As his body was launched onto hers, she thrust her make shift weapon into the spot she saw the dark glow from the tainted shard, where his heart would be if he still -or ever- had one._

_His eyes went wide with shock as the jewel was instantly purified within his body causing the youkai within him to be purified as well, essentially destroying the evil known as Naraku. After picking up the almost complete jewel, she looked up to find only a few stray youkai remained and those not fighting them were currently staring at her._

_"What?" Kagome wondered at the strange looks she was receiving from her friends and allies._

_"First this onna pulls our father's sword and then she kills Naraku?" Sesshoumaru mumbled as he turned his gaze to his younger half brother._

_"Just couldn't let me kill him could you?" Inuyasha mockingly yelled at her, all the while a large grin on his face._

_"You were taking too long." Kagome joked back as she received the last shards from the group and combined it with the other to recreate the Shikon no tama, whole for the first time in almost four years._

**End Flashback**

* * *

"Tadashii-sama," one of his men started out slowly, not really wanting to be the one to deliver this newest bit of information. After Tadashii turned to glance at him he continued, "we've received word that the four taiyoukai's have arrived at the western castle." 

Tadashii thought this news over a moment before a large grin spread across his face. "Good then we won't have to go looking for them. Once they fall, the rest will be cake." Tadashii insisted with a slight chuckle, causing the man to back away deciding he didn't want to stay there any longer.

* * *

_1. Just fyi these are not the same demons that were after Sesshoumaru and trying to revive their master in the show, I believe they were panthers as well. These are a different tribe I made up, just letting ya know so there is no confusion._

* * *

**Translations**

**Taka-hawk**

**Airashii-lovely**

**Kurohyou-panther**

**Chikara-strength**

**Aka-filth**

**Kaigaishii-brave**

**Inu-tachi-dog group**

**Ofuda-Talismen**

**Katana-sword**

**Shikon no Tama-Jewel of Four Souls**

* * *

AN: Well there's the next chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly 


	9. Onward to Battle

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.

* * *

An: Okies our first 'romantic' scene is in this chapter so let me know what ya think :). Also there is quite a bit of fighting in this chapter and I fully admitt it is not my forte so there is very little description to it.

* * *

The Path We Walk

Chapter 9: Onward to Battle

It was almost time, the battle would be on them on the morrow. Kagome glanced around at those that would be following them the next day and couldn't help but notice the lack of moral. She decided to herself with a curt nod that this was why Inuyasha never planned out his battles, he just rushed in not giving anyone any time to think about it. It may not always be the best plan, at least it prevents people from moping around about it. Deciding that if her life was going to be in their hands in less than 24 hours she was going to make sure they went in with brighter spirits, Kagome smiled to herself and then stood and made her way over to the nearest servant. Whispering in her ear mischievously, Kagome watched as the servant's eyes widen and grinned in return before leaving the room.

As Kagome headed back to her seat she was greeted by the raised eyebrow of Sesshoumaru in question to what that had been all about, but she merely waved him off with a smile. Within a few minutes the soft, beautiful notes began drifting into the room as a few servants walked in carrying various musical instruments.

By the time they had taken their spots near the wall, Miroku had already pulled Sango out of her chair and began leading her in a slow and almost poetic waltz. Kagome watched them with a smile while they twirled around the floor before turning to Sesshoumaru. Before she could even ask he had raised a delicate eyebrow and glared at her with a look that clearly said 'no'.

Kagome merely rolled her eyes at him as she turned to look at Kouga who was seated at her other side. "Kouga-kun?" Kagome caught his attention and glanced momentarily at the others who had began dancing to clue him in.

"Of course." Kouga replied with a confident grin as he took her hand and began leading her out to the floor. Kagome was pleasantly surprised at how graceful Kouga was as he led her around in pace with the music. The song ended and the next began in a more fast paced tempo enticing Miroku and Kouga to twirl their respective partners around the floor to keep up with the beat, creating fits of giggles from both of the girls.

As the beat picked up more, Kagome led the others in what could only be described as a mosh pit, as Chikara and Kaigaishii each grabbed onto a female servant and pulled them out onto the floor. While Kagome was jumping around, fully enjoying herself, her eyes met with Sesshoumaru's as he watched from his spot at the table, and she smiled at him before being twirled away once again.

* * *

The long halls in the castle seemed to be never ending and Kagome was quite sure she had passed the painting she was currently facing at least once before. She knew she should have said yes when a servant had offered to lead her back to her room, but everyone was still having so much fun she didn't want to disrupt them and so had turned him down. 

"Not one of my better plans." Kagome grumbled to herself as she turned and started back down another hall hoping this one would be the one to bring her to her quarters.

"What wasn't?" a cool voice called out from behind her making her jump and turn to face the one who had spoken. Glancing up to meet his eyes, Kagome wondered briefly when Sesshoumaru had gotten there since she was sure he hadn't been there a moment before.

"Don't suppose you could show me the way to my room Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome inquired sweetly ignoring his question as she smiled at him.

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes having heard the servant offer to show her and instead turned and began down the correct hall. Kagome picked up her pace to try and keep up with his long strides and in about a minute they were standing in front of a door she assumed was her own. "Thanks Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome called over her shoulder as she went to open the door but Sesshoumaru's hand on her own stopped her and she turned to face him.

Before she could question his actions, she felt his soft, but firm, lips pressing down on her own. Her eyes widen in disbelief as he raised his other hand to cup her cheek as he pressed into her and deepened the kiss. Kagome felt her knees begin to weaken as her lids lowered and she leaned slightly into the kiss. All too soon he pulled away and she opened her eyes to stare into his own golden orbs.

"What are you doing Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome whispered, having problems finding her voice as the sensation from the kiss lingered on her lips.

"That should be obvious miko." Sesshoumaru replied in his normal stoic voice, yet a slight mirth could be seen within his eyes.

"Why?" Kagome wondered as she reached her hand up to rest her fingertips on her lips as if trying to figure out why she could still feel his lips on her own.

"This Sesshoumaru wanted to." was his only explanation and her response was only to seem even more confused. "Miko," Sesshoumaru started to get her attention back as she began to get a dazed look in her eyes, "did you not want this Sesshoumaru to?"

"No but..." Kagome started but was cut off when Sesshoumaru began to speak again.

"Did you wish to make this Sesshoumaru jealous by dancing with the wolf?" Sesshoumaru questioned watching in slight amusement as she seemed to once again grow more confused.

"No but..." Kagome once again tried to start but like before was interrupted when he began to speak again.

"Miko why are you confused about this Sesshoumaru kissing you?" Sesshoumaru wondered as her tongue caught his attention as it ran across her suddenly dry lips.

"It doesn't make any sense Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome whispered as she looked from her fingers as she lowered her hands and back into his eyes.

With the slightest hint of a smirk playing on his lips, he leaned over so his mouth was just a breath away from her ear and watched with amusement as she shuddered when his hot breath caressed her ear. "What this Sesshoumaru wants, this Sesshoumaru gets." Sesshoumaru whispered huskily as he pulled back to look into her eyes that were now widening even more. "What part of that doesn't make sense?" Sesshoumaru wondered as he watched her small tongue come out and lick her lips again.

Before she could even think of answering, he lowered his lips onto hers again and followed the path her tongue had taken with his own. She gasped as her eyes closed of their own accord and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue into the moist cavern that was her mouth. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue traced a path along her teeth and her own. She wondered briefly how her legs could still be holding her up since they had decided to turn to Jell-o, but before the thought got very far she felt him pull away and opened her eyes to find her standing there alone.

Kagome blinked and thought for a moment that she had imagined it all, since that would of course make more sense than the ningen hating taiyoukai kissing her, but his slightly spicy taste that still lingered in her mouth confirmed that it had indeed happened. Shaking her head, Kagome turned and walked into her room before clasping on her futon.

Back in the hallway, in a darkened corner, a pair of golden eyes watched and waited until she had closed her door before allowing a ghost of a smirk to grace his lips. Had anyone seen it, they would have ran and cowered truly believing someone was about to die, but they couldn't have been more wrong. In fact killing was the last thing on the normally stoic taiyoukai's mind, instead he was currently thinking of other things he could do with the miko that his beast would approve of.

* * *

Dawn of the next morning was met with the castle in full swing, the sun's rays greeting a courtyard full of youkai and a handful of ningens as they finished readying for the upcoming battle. All across the yard were groups of youkai getting in a little warm up while their leaders stood in the middle waiting for the word. 

Kagome rolled her shoulders to help her loosen up as she fingered the youkai bone bow on her back. She couldn't help but smile as the familiar _smack_ rang out from the only other two ningens on the field. "This is hardly the time houshi-sama!" Sango yelled as she turned to glare at him, however, the effect was ruined by the smile that graced her lips.

"Ah but my dear Sango, I can think of no better time." Miroku insisted with his lecherous grin ever present on his face as he leaned down to kiss her lightly on the tip of her nose.

The gesture caused Kagome to turn her gaze to the taiyoukai next to her to find him staring at her with a raised eyebrow and the slightest of smirks on his lips. She fought the urge to roll her eyes as a shout echoed out from ahead of them. It could only mean one thing, Tadashii was here.

"It is time." Sesshoumaru informed them coolly, his ever stoic mask back in place as he began walking toward the battle. Chikara, Kaigaishii and Kouga following in a horizontal line behind him, Kagome, Sango and Miroku likewise behind them. No more than 20 paces behind them were the youkai, each divided into groups by their taiyoukai.

As they reached the top of the hill, that the scout stood on, they could see Tadashii marching toward them with what seemed like hundreds of men. Kagome forced herself to breath as her eyes scanned the ningens she would be battling soon. When her gaze landed on Tadashii, any hesitation she might have been feeling went out the window as imagines of everything he had done flashed through her mind. Anyone who cared to listen, could hear the slightest of growls coming from Kagome as she looked at the houshi with disgust.

* * *

Tadashii glanced over the youkai standing not far from him and when any other would be running scared or pleading for his life, his arrogant self was instead thanking the kami that he could deal with the leaders at once, knowing once they were gone the lessers would fall easy to him and his men. 

The smirk left his face when his gaze landed on Kagome, who was now standing at Sesshoumaru's side. He mentally noted that there were two other ningens standing next to her. "How disgusting, ningens siding with kitanai youaki. And you, Lady Kagome, should be standing by myself when I rid this world of that scum." Tadashii called out, ignoring the growls from some of the lesser youkai.

"Tadashii-baka I wouldn't stand next to you if you were the last coward on earth." Kagome spat earning cheers from the youkai behind her and smiles from the two ningen and ookami around her. "You should have heeded my warning, you dug your own grave." Kagome told him coldly, sounding very much like Sesshoumaru at that moment.

"Like I would ever listen to a wench." Tadashii taunted, earning a growl from Kagome. "You're even starting to sound like that aka." Tadashii spat now completely disgusted with the miko as well.

"Better like them than like you." Kagome assured him ignoring the glare he was giving her.

* * *

"Enough." Sesshoumaru spoke quietly to Kagome before raising his head and letting out a sharp bark. Which apparently meant to attack since the youkai behind them began to charge toward the men as Sesshoumaru pulled out his own and began to face off with Tadashii. 

As Kagome readied an arrow she looked around at her allies, Sango and Miroku were fighting side by side to her right, Kouga had been joined by Ginta and were fighting to her left. She could hear the grunts coming from Chikara and Kaigaishii from behind her and of course Sesshoumaru was in front of her. Bringing her attention back to him, she noticed the ningen who was currently charging toward his back while he was busy with Tadashii. Snorting in disgust at the cowardly act, she let the arrow fly, without bothering to add any power to it, and it _swished_ through the air, before embedding itself in the man's leg, bringing him down before he could strike.

Sesshoumaru looked over his shoulder as he heard the man shriek in pain behind him, and after spotting the arrow in his leg, looked up and curtly nodded to Kagome who smiled in returned before she turned and let another arrow fly at a ningen who was coming at her. Turning his attention back to Tadashii, he swung his sword down and was blocked by his staff.

* * *

A loud roar shook the ground below them as Chikara took his true form, causing a few of the ningens to run from the battle, even some who weren't currently fighting him. The rest stared in momentary awe at the large red dragon that was looming over them where Chikara had stood a moment before. Stretching out his huge wings, he flapped them once, causing a gust of wind to shoot out from them, throwing a few of the nearby ningen back. 

His sniffed the air before a look of disgust crossed his face as he turned to look at a ningen who stood in front of him. Had the dark spot on his robe not been enough to give away his overwelming fear, the stench that was now invading his nose sure enough was. Annoyed, he roared at the ningen and watched as he finally regained use of his legs and ran from the battle. Chikara chuckled darkly, well as much as a dragon youkai could chuckle darkly in his true form, and turned to fight the ningens who had not run off yet.

Kaigaishii snickered as he watched the scene unfold with his companion before deciding he had the right idea and took his true form. Nowhere near as frightening as the dragon, but none the less it was much easier to fight as a vulture. Squawking loudly to get Chikara's attention, he took to flight and grabbed onto the nearest ningen with his talons.

Seeing that Chikara had stopped mid swing to stare at him, he flew over to the taiyoukai and dropped the ningen in front of his claw. Chikara, taking the hint, swung his powerful claw at the ningen and sent him flying across the battlefield. Kaigaishii chuckled, sounding oddly like a clucking chicken, as he veered back the way he had come to grab another ningen so they could continue their game.

* * *

Laughing at the antics of the two taiyoukai, Kouga turned his attention back to the ningen he currently had a hold of by the claws of his left hand. Bringing his right around, he punched him soundly in the head, knocking him out instantly and let him fall to the ground with the others. He had decided before the battle that in respect for Kagome he wouldn't kill them, but if any of them decided to get up and be stupid enough to attack him again, well that was an entirely different story. 

Ginta added another ningen to the pile he was making, like Kouga, only knocking them out in respect for _nee-san._(1) Grabbing the heads of the two ningen that were charging toward him, he knocked them together and unceremoniously dropped them on the ever growing pile. Risking a glance at Kagome, he noticed she was fairing rather well and so turned back to his own battle.

* * *

Kagome let another arrow fly, this time hitting the sword hand of a warrior that was heading her way. Ignoring the cry of pain he omitted, she notched another arrow, and shaking her head, let it fly into the leg of another ningen that was trying to sneak up behind Sesshoumaru. 

Grumbling about 'cowards' she turned her attention to the others to see how they were fairing in the battle. Seeing none that needed her help, she let her next arrow fly to the thigh of a ningen that was charging toward her.

* * *

Sango had opted to use her katana rather than her boomerang in fear she might kill them and soon had developed a pattern with Miroku. She blocked their attack with her sword, thrusting them back toward him, and he would hit them over the head with his staff knocking them out. 

Block, thrust, whack, fall...block, thrust, whack, fall...block, thrust, whack, fall. This had been going on since the beginning of the battle and already they had grown bored. Deciding to mix things up a bit, Miroku twirled his staff around in his hands and moved to stand next to Sango.

She raised her eyebrows at him but he just smiled in return and raised his staff to block an incoming attack as Sango blocked one of her own with her katana.

* * *

Tadashii was seething, the battle was not going the way he had planned and in fact he was currently losing to the taiyoukai. He didn't like it, not one bit, and decided to try and draw out the taiyoukai's temper in order to tip the scale in his favor. "Tell me aka, is the miko as good as she looks?" Tadashii taunted with a smirk. 

Sesshoumaru's reply was not what he had been expecting and only furthered to aggravate him. The taiyoukai merely smirked back and replied, "You will never be good enough to find out."

Had Tadashii been a youkai, his eyes would have been bleeding red at this point, instead if you looked closely enough, you could see faint puffs of smoke coming out his ears as his face burned hotly in anger.

Sesshoumaru mentally smirked at turning the houshi's game back on himself before becoming annoyed that the ningen had thought to make him lose him temper over some miko.

* * *

Noticing the waves of men had began to slow down, Kagome risked a glance around to see how it was going and noticed Chikara and Kaigaishii seemed to be getting over ran by men who were rather pissed that they were toying with their comrades. 

Shaking her head at the antics of the two taiyoukai, Kagome turned her attention fully toward them and readied an arrow and began picking off the men that were heading toward them.

Now out of men of their own, Sango and Miroku noticed Kagome was currently helping the taiyoukai and with a shrug to each other, heading off to where they were currently fighting to lend a hand as well.

* * *

_1. I believe Ginta, and the other wolf who I can't remember the name of off hand, called Kagome 'nee-san' or older sister. If this is incorrect please let me know so I can fix it._

* * *

**Translations**

**Kami-God**

**Kianai-filthy**

**Ookami-wolf**

**Aka-filth**

* * *

AN: Well there's the next chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly 


	10. End of the Road

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.

* * *

An: Okies a couple of things I need to mention, _Nicole_ asked why in chapter 4 didn't Kagome use a barrier instead of being wounded. Okies that's easy since she just learned how to do them she needs to concentrate in order for them to work and at the moment she didn't have time to since Shippo was about to be hurt. Pretty much she just wasn't in a position to think clearly. Sorry if I didn't make that clear in the post. 

And thank you _Miki _who pointed out that Ginta and Hakkaku do call Kagome onee-san, and thx for telling me his name. :)

Just to touch up a bit on what _Snappy Burns_ mentioned, for my cliché notes this is not to put down other authors or stories, it's mainly to give everyone an idea of what's not in this story so they will know it will be a fresh idea. Also to give others a guide line to go by in case they want to do the same thing as me. If anyone else felt they were even a tad rude I'm sorry that was not my intention.

FYI this is the second to last chapter, only the epologue to go after this. If you would like another story from me, feel free to go to my profile and vote on which story to be next :)

* * *

The Path We Walk

Chapter 10: End of the Road

"Weaklings." Chikara grumbled upset when he noticed he was out of men to play with. The others searched the battlefield as well, taking note that only Sesshoumaru and Tadashii were left fighting. "What do we do about them?" Chikara wondered, nodding to the piles of unconscious or injured men at their feet.

"Pick apart their bones?" Kaigaishii suggested, a obviously feral look in his eyes, earning a laugh from the other demons around him. Kagome merely rolled her eyes at him.

"I have a better idea." Kagome informed that with a smirk that had them wondering if their sense of smell was off and she were in fact a demon.

"What do you suggest Lady Kagome?" Miroku inquired when she had remained silent for a few moments and his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"Well since they destroyed the villages, wouldn't it make sense for them to help the _youkai_ rebuild them?" Kagome wondered sweetly, stressing the word 'youkai' for the men conscious of the ground.

"That sounds fitting, how better to punish them than to have them work for the youkai they tried to kill." Miroku agreed with a smirk, gaining nods from the youkai around him.

"Have your uninjured round them up in one spot and you guys should go in and have your wounds tended." Kagome commanded more than suggested as she turned back to the taiyoukai.

Kaigaishii went to complain about 'being a taiyoukai and not being weak enough as to need medical treatment' but Kouga silenced him when he shook his head. "Don't bother, just easier to go along with it." Kouga explained before giving a few short barks to the youkai and heading inside with the help of Ginta.

"He's right you know." Sango agreed with a smile to Kagome as she helped lead the taiyoukai into the castle behind the ookami.

"Be careful." Miroku warned before he headed in as well, leaving just Kagome to watch the continuing battle between Sesshoumaru and Tadashii, along with the lesser youkai who were gathering up the ningens.

* * *

Blocking the sword that was crashing down on him with his staff, Tadashii risked glancing around for any of his men he could call for to help him, but instead spotted his men being dragged away. Seems they had lost and the war was down to just him and Sesshoumaru. 

Spotting Kagome watching from a little ways away, Tadashii decided to try again to get her on his side. "One day he'll betray you miko, just as all youkai will." Tadashii swore, keeping his eyes on Sesshoumaru, but it wasn't hard for either to figure out who he was talking to or about.

"You think he'd betray me?" Kagome inquired, unable to prevent a chuckle from escaping. Sesshoumaru turned with a raised eyebrow, his expression easily read 'you think this Sesshoumaru wouldn't?'. Even Tadashii looked at her strangely, perhaps she had grown a second head.

"Lord Sesshoumaru would first have to be loyal in order to betray me." Kagome laughed waving her hand as if she was dismissing the idea. "And Tadashii, you should worry more about the taiyoukai trying to kill you, than about my future." Kagome mocked as he barely stopped an attack from slicing him in half while his attention was diverted.

* * *

If he wasn't livid before, Tadashii sure was now. Not only had his men already lost and he was losing to Sesshoumaru, but Kagome was mocking him as well. _Perhaps if she won't turn against the aka I can make him turn against her. Youkai aren't that trusting in the first place._ Tadashii decided in his mind as he blocked the incoming swings of Sesshoumaru's sword with his staff. 

Sesshoumaru knew this battle would soon end, even if he couldn't see the perspiration rolling off of the houshi, which he could, he could smell it. Even if he couldn't hear his heavy panting, which he could, he could feel the exhaustion rolling off him in waves. Sesshoumaru allowed himself a small inward smirk, yes the houshi would soon be begging for his life on his knees before the great taiyoukai.

"You do realize aka that she only wants you because of your power do you not? Even you have to be intelligent enough to figure that out." Tadashii mocked as he swung his staff in an arc toward Sesshoumaru's ankles in attempt to trip him, however, Sesshoumaru merely jumped over it gracefully.

"She turn against you in the end, just as any ningen onna would. Youkai and ningens don't mix. Are you really that baka enough to risk your land and title for one pathetic onna?" Tadashii continued to mock trying to get a rise out of Sesshoumaru so he could throw his perfect fighting technic off. Anything that might give Tadashii the upper hand.

_Does this ningen truly believe this Sesshoumaru to be so easily side tracked?_ Sesshoumaru wondered to himself with disgust, only raising one delicate eyebrow outwardly to the houshi's taunt.

Tadashii opened his mouth to continue on with his monologue, however, Sesshoumaru took the slight opening to swing his sword powerfully in a wide arc, causing vibrations in the two weapons when they connected. Sesshoumaru was able to keep a hold of his with no outward trouble, however, Tadashii was unable to stop his fingers from opening due to the vibrations and his staff went flying across the field.

Tadashii risked a glance from Sesshoumaru to where his staff lay judging the distance to see if he could reach it before the taiyoukai could strike, but quickly realized, seeing as Sesshoumaru had just kicked him in the back of his knees and he was currently kneeling before him, that he in fact did not have enough time before Sesshoumaru could strike.

* * *

"Lady Kagome save me!" Tadashii cried out as he turned his attention towards her. Seeing her merely raise her eyebrow in a very Sesshoumaru like manner, he continued, "You're a miko you can't just stand there and let him kill a houshi!" 

Sesshoumaru was, well at first confused, then he was amused and finally he was pissed. He was confused because while he had thought the ningen would plead for his life, he should be begging him not the miko. Then he was amused that the houshi still thought that the miko would turn against him mid combat just because of his words. And then he was pissed, how dare the houshi think the miko would have a chance at stopping him from his victory in battle.

Kagome on the other hand was merely annoyed, still the houshi-baka continued on as if she would just drop her allies to save this pathetic man. Now Kagome was still a pure as she had been in her younger days and didn't believe in killing others, but at the same time experience had taught her that for the better of the many some did in fact have to die. Naraku had been one of them, never once did she believe there was good still within him, never once did she believe that he had deserved a second chance.

For a while, however, Kagome had wondered about Tadashii in the beginning since he was in fact human and a houshi at that. But after everything he did, it would be like saying Hitler had some good left in him and deserved to live, well she didn't believe that either. But instead of making his peace and praying to the Kami to spare his soul, he was still trying to make it seem like she was so pathetic that she would drop her ally and some what friend of most of the last few years and save his life after he had killed innocent youkai, including a ningen onna just because she was pregnant with a hanyou. Okies scratch that, Kagome was no longer annoyed, now like the taiyoukai a few feet away, Kagome was pissed.

"You're right Tadashii as a miko I can't just stand by and watch a youkai kill a houshi." Kagome began, smirking mentally in satisfaction when she saw the smile appear on his face. "However, as a mother I can stand by and watch as an ally kills my son's would be murderer." Kagome finished in an icy tone, so cold in fact you could almost see the icicles forming around her.

Now Sesshoumaru was really confused, although he betrayed none of it on the outside, but he was almost positive that it was his voice that had just spoken, but yet he had seen the miko's lips moving. He almost smirked when he thought about the last time he had paid attention to those very same lips. _Not the time._ Sesshoumaru reminded himself mentally._ However, there will be plenty of time afterwards._ Sesshoumaru decided allowing himself a little outward smirk since neither were looking in his direction at the moment.

"I am a houshi! You're a miko! You can't side with a youkai against me!" Tadashii screamed at her, literally shaking in rage as he stared disbelievingly at her. Had she turned her back so far on her humanity that she truly didn't care that a youkai was about to kill a ningen?

"Houshi? Miko? Youkai? Odd I don't see a youkai or miko or houshi. All I see is the good guy about to kill the bad guy. And Tadashii, that's the way the story goes." Kagome spat unemotionally at him as she turned her back and started walking back toward the castle.

Tadashii's shocked expression was short lived when he saw Sesshoumaru advancing on him for the kill and he began screaming for her to come back. Kagome continued on ignoring him not even pausing when he scream was cut short and made her was into the castle.

Sesshoumaru whipped his sword in an arc away from himself to clean off the blood before sheathing it. Turning his back on the now headless body of Tadashii, he followed after the miko, leaving the mess for his men to clean up.

* * *

"Lord Sesshoumaru can you let Shippo out so he can help me with the wounded?" Kagome inquired not bothering to look up from the youkai she was tending as she felt his presence enter the room. 

Sesshoumaru gave her a slight nod, ignoring the fact that she was unable to see it with her back turned to him, and continued toward the back of the castle, making sure no one was following him.

"This is going to hurt." Kagome warned the youkai beneath her, giving him to time to respond before snapping his arm back into place. "It was just dislocated so should heal quickly." Kagome assured him before standing and moving onto the next injured.

* * *

"Momma!" Shippo cried out rushing to her side the moment he spotted her after entering the room and jumped into her waiting arms. "I'm glad you're okay." Shippo told her giving her a bright smile. "How can I help?" Shippo wondered looking around the room at all of the injured. 

"Help Kouga with his bandages." Kagome replied with a smile as she set him on the ground and watched as he ran over to the ookami.

"Your turn Lord Chikara." Kagome said with a smirk as she turned toward the taiyoukai, ignoring the glare and complaints he was giving her. "The quicker this is finished the sooner you don't have to deal with me." Kagome reminded him and inwardly smirked when he stopped his struggling.

Within an hour all of the injured had been taken care of, most being only minor, and Kagome sighed as she wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. "Shippo would you mind cleaning up while I go wash up?" Kagome wondered as she turned toward the kit.

"Sure momma." Shippo replied with a smile before turning back to picking up the dirty cloths he had used to clean up the blood. "You go and relax afterwards, I'll take care of everything here." Shippo assured and after smiling at him, Kagome turned and left the room heading toward the nearest hot springs.

* * *

A few hours later, everyone was sitting around Sesshoumaru's large dinning table, celebrating their victory. Good cheer and sake being passed around unsparingly. "Miko." Chikara called out gaining hers and everyone else's attention. "I must admit you and your friends aren't bad, for ningen anyways." Chikara joked ignoring the glares sent his way. 

"What Lord Chikara is trying to say is that you and you're friends are welcome in our lands." Kaigaishii finished for him chuckling when Chikara shrank back a tad at Kagome glare.

"Thank you Lord Kaigaishii, Lord Chikara." Kagome replied giving each a slight bow. Sango and Miroku followed after.

"So what do you plan to do now?" Chikara wondered after a moment bringing everyone's attention back to the miko.

"Same thing as I always do Lord Chikara, help those in need." Kagome replied smiling brightly.

* * *

Dawn met the group waving goodbye to their friends as they headed off toward the horizon, each heading back to their own homes. Once they were out of her sight, Kagome turned to Sesshoumaru and smiled. "The path we walk sure is funny." Kagome pointed out, giggling at his slightly confused expression. 

"What do you mean miko?" Sesshoumaru questioned after regaining his normal stoic expression as he turned to look down at her.

"Four years ago I would have never imagined myself standing next to you as an ally, a hostage maybe, but not an ally. Had anyone told me everything I would have to go through to get here, I would have thought them crazy." Kagome explained as she turned her gaze back toward the horizon. Turning back to Sesshoumaru, she gave him a slight nod before heading back inside when she heard Shippo calling out for her.

"Yes Kagome, the path we walk is funny indeed." Sesshoumaru whispered to himself after she was out of sight and followed after her.

* * *

**Translations**

**Onee-san-older sister  
**

**Ookami- wolf  
**

**Kami-God**

**Onna- girl  
**

**Hanyou- half demon  
**

* * *

AN: Well there's the next chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly 


	11. Epilogue: To Submit or not to, that is t

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all of it's characters are property of the brilliant Takahashi-sama and I claim no ownership of them. Only the story belongs to me.

* * *

AN: Alright here we are everybody, the last chapter for The Path We Walk, can't believe it's done already :(. Oh well guess that means I get to start my next one soon lol. Btw if you are up for it don't forget to go to my fanfiction dot net profile, Hairann, to vote for which story to do next. If I don't get any votes, which I haven't yet, I will be going with I am Alpha! since I already have the complete layout for that one done hehe. 

Anyways thanks to all of my readers and reviewers for all your support and feed back and I hope to see you all at my next fic :)

**Warning: **Bit of lime in this chapter, not much but it is there.

* * *

The Path We Walk

Epilogue: To Submit or not to, that is the Challenge

Everyone had gone back to their own homes giving Kagome her first moment of peace in a long while and she was taking full advantage of it. Kagome let out a sigh of pleasure as she sank further into the hot springs feeling her muscles start to relax.

_Just what I needed._ Kagome decided as she allowed herself to sink under the water before returning to the surface and ringing the extra water out of her hair. She let out a content sigh as she closed her eyes and rested back against the rocks that surrounded the springs, but a noise coming from in front of her had her eyes snapping back open.

Standing in front of her, in all of his-prettier than any man has a right to be-err taiyoukainess, was Sesshoumaru, Lord of the West. Kagome could only blink as she stared at him in shock momentarily forgetting she was currently naked in a hot springs with a very confusing taiyoukai in front of her. "Huh?" _Oh great Kagome nice greeting...wait why is he here in the hot springs...umm I'm naked..._ Needless to say, Kagome's thought process was a little slow at the moment and before she could vocalize any of said thoughts, Sesshoumaru began to untie his obi.

That woke Kagome up and she shook her head, blinking at him for a moment. "Lord Sesshoumaru what are you doing?" Kagome wondered as she sank into the water until only her head remained above water.

"Miko even you can't be so innocent not to know." was Sesshoumaru's reply as he allowed the obi to fall to the ground and began working this ties open to his haori.

"Okay yeah I know what you are doing, why are you doing it?" Kagome mumbled scarcely breathing as she watched the haori fall to the floor, revealing his well toned torso and arms. Her cheeks began to heat as a blush covered her face and started making its way toward her chest.

"This Sesshoumaru wants to." Annoyed, Kagome snapped her gaze up to his face to yell about him about his odd responses lately, when a rustling of fabric stopped her and make her look down again. He was currently working to undo the strings keeping his hakama up.

Kagome was sure her entire body was now covered in a blush as she jumped and turned around but a moment before she heard the material hit the floor. "What are you doing Lord Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked again as she felt movement in the water but continued to face away with the water up to her chin.

"This Sesshoumaru is taking a bath." Sesshoumaru replied, a slight growl in his voice. He wasn't angry, no it was another type of growl and it was currently having a great effect on Kagome.

_This is not the time to be getting horny, no matter how sexy his growl is._ Kagome chastised herself as she tried to push the current thoughts that were floating around her head out, sure that even in the water, this close Sesshoumaru would be able to smell her arousal and she did not need that at the moment. "Yes Lord Sesshoumaru I can see that, but why are you taking a bath with me?"

"This Sesshoumaru wants to."

_That's it I'm gonna kill him!_ Kagome screamed mentally as she flung herself around, pointing her finger at him as though she was scolding a child. However, words were lost when she realized the taiyoukai was standing right behind her and all she could do was stare at him dumbly.

Shaking her head to clear the fog, Kagome turned to head around him to a safer side of the hot springs, but an arm shooting out and latching onto the rocks behind her stopped her process. Blinking at him, she turned and tried to go the other way, but again his arm blocked her movement.

"Lord Sesshoumaru what are you doing?" Kagome whispered, knowing he would hear her just fine, as she stared down at his arm that was still blocking her way.

"What does it look like miko?" Sesshoumaru wondered huskily and Kagome could feel his breath of the side of her face. She turned, wondering when he had gotten that close, and had but a moment to wonder what was going on before his lips crashed down on hers and her eyes began to flutter close of their own accord.

Before she realized what she was doing, her lips began moving against his on their own deepening the kiss as all thoughts left her dazed mind. A slight moan escaped her lips and Sesshoumaru smirked into the kiss before pulling back to look her in the eyes.

Slowly her eyes reopen and Kagome looked up at him as she ran her tongue across her lips wondering oddly about the feeling of loss. Then she remembered what had just happened and dropped into the water, diving under his arm and making her way across the springs.

"Why?" The whisper was so soft and muffled by her fingers which she was touching to her lips, that even he barely heard it.

"Why what?" Sesshoumaru questioned, not taking his eyes off of her lips briefly wishing to be her fingers.

"Why are you doing this? You hate humans and in case you have forgotten I am a human Lord Sesshoumaru." Kagome reminded him as she looked down at the water, a little bit worried he would realize what he was doing and be disgusted by her.

"This Sesshoumaru wanted to." he replied as he began to make his way over to her, however, the wave of anger rolling off her stopped him in his tracks.

"Kuso Sesshoumaru! That doesn't make any sense!" Kagome yelled as she raised her gaze to meet his, forgetting titles and the fact that they were both naked in a hot springs for a moment.

"Then this Sesshoumaru will make it simple miko." Sesshoumaru assured as he moved until he was almost touching her and leaned down to whisper into her ear. "I want you and that above all else," he paused allowing his hot breath to cover her ear causing her to shiver, "means I will get you Kagome."

Before she could respond, or even think, his lips were crashing down on hers again, a bit more forceful this time. _He said my name! And he talked in first person._ Her mind realized and she went to voice these, momentary forgetting that he was kissing her, and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue between her lips and take his first taste of her as one hand came up to cup the back of her neck and the other ran down her side.

He growled in approval as she threw caution to the wind and began to kiss him back, running her fingers through his long silky hair and pulling him closer to deepen the kiss.

* * *

"Milord!" Kagome screamed out in ecstasy as her arms tightened around his shoulders and her legs around his waist to prevent herself from falling over. 

"I win." Sesshoumaru whispered in her ear turning into a growl at the end as his eyes began to bleed red and his fangs elongated. Before she could find her voice to respond, he sank his fangs into her shoulder causing her to cry out again in ecstasy, another wave of pleasure rolling off of her.

Finally getting her voice back, Kagome looked into his eyes and smiled. "Yes Lord Sesshoumaru you win, I submit." Kagome replied ignoring the blush that was spreading across her checks again.

"Again?" Kagome wondered in disbelief as Sesshoumaru began trailing kisses along her neck making his way to her breast. Had he been anyone else she could have swore he just chuckled, but as he closed his hot mouth around her peaked nipple, all thought left her mind and she moaned as she got ready for another round of taiyoukai love making.

* * *

"Rin wants to go in the hot springs with Kagome-chan." Rin decided as she and Shippo stopped outside the door to the springs. 

Shippo listened for a moment before grabbing Rin's hand and starting away. "Not a good idea right now, Momma isn't alone at the moment." Shippo explained as he started toward the garden, thinking that would distract her.

"Who's in with her?" Rin wondered confused.

"Lord Sesshoumaru." Shippo whispered in her ear so only she could hear, though the squeal she gave probably alerted the entire castle.

"Now Rin will have a momma too!" Rin cheered as she grabbed Shippo and raced outside, spotting Jaken resting under a tree. "Master Jaken! Master Jaken! Guess what!" Rin yelled as she ran over to him.

* * *

Kagome awoke later in a rather large bed surrounded by furs and noticed, after wiping the sleep from her eyes, that it was now some time in the late evening. She sat up in bed, running her fingers through her hair to try and get some control over it as she looked around the room. 

_This isn't the room I've been staying in._ Kagome realized, in fact the room was about three times the size of the guest room she had been using. _Must be Sesshoumaru's room._ she decided as she noticed the large mural of a giant white dog covering one of the walls.

As she gaze around the room, she spotted her large yellow bag off in a corner and could see the red cloth, that housed Inuyasha's sword, sticking up in the bag's opening. _Tomorrow_ Kagome decided with a nod of her head before laying back against the bed. _I will give him the sword tomorrow._

As she closed her eyes she briefly wondered why he hadn't asked about it yet, but figured he probably thought Inuyasha had taken it with him. Either way, now that she no longer needed it she would give it to its now rightful owner, her mate.

* * *

**Translations **

**Haori-Japanese formal coat  
**

**Hakama-****man's formal divided skirt**

**Obi-kimono sash  
**

**Kuso-shit**

* * *

AN: Well there's the last chapter. Please R&R, good and bad reviews are both welcome however I will just ignore flames. Let me know if it sounds to cliché so I can edit it correctly.**  
**

**  
**

* * *


End file.
